A historical fiction novel at the crossroads of two points of interest — the Pack Horse Librarian Project and the blue-skinned people of rural Kentucky — that follows Cussy Mary, the last of her kind and an intrepid deliverer of books to the remote residents of Troublesome Creek. ⁣
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I really wanted to like this one but... just didn’t. The research that went into the book is obvious and I don’t want to discount that. I learned quite about this particular time and place. I also appreciated Cussy Mary’s determination and thoughtfulness. However, I found the dialogue tiring and a bit overworked. Further, while I really enjoyed learning about the Pack Horse Librarians, the simultaneous story of the town’s discrimination was more muddling than additive. I felt like librarian bit was more of a backdrop than a central storyline which perhaps would not have bothered me as much if the title had been different. Finally, I found the characters to be largely one-dimensional which was disappointing. Overall, I felt let down by this read.