The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is an Indie Next Pick and an Okra Pick

Independent booksellers from across the country have chosen Kim Michele Richardson's The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek as one of the most anticipated books of May 2019!

We are also thrilled to share that booksellers in the South have selected The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek as a Spring 2019 Okra Pick. The Okra Pick is an honor bestowed upon twelve books each season that Southern booksellers can't wait to handsell.

Continue reading to find out why booksellers are raving about this fascinating novel and click here to preorder a copy from a bookstore near you!

What Booksellers Are Saying about The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

"The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a novel made for book lovers with interest in little-known pockets of history. Richardson's novel is a heartbreaking ode to the power of literature as a mechanism for changing culture."
--Lindsay Crist Lawson, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH
 
"Kim Michele Richardson brings us an unforgettable historical novel full of heart with a gutsy heroine to boot!"
--Jen Steele, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI
 
"Kim Michele Richardson has written a stunning piece of historical fiction that reinforces the vital importance of books and the people who have always worked to get them out into the world. I will joyfully put this into the hands of my readers."
--Mary O'Malley, Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
 
"This book is a searing portrait of poverty and the hope that books can provide, told through the lives of the Kentucky Pack Horse librarians and the Blue people of Kentucky."
--Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
 
"From the opening line to the last sentence, I adored every minute of reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I raced through this book over the course of a weekend and am only sorry that I couldn't keep reading more about these characters!"
--Carrie Deming, The Dog Eared Book, Palmyra, NY
 
"Cussy was so courageous and her strength an inspiration. She knew that her people needed books and she was willing to face any obstacle to achieve her goal. I loved this book!"
--Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette, Fairhope, AL
 
"Richardson's story is endearing, eye-opening, and homey. Praise libraries, bookstores, and an amazing human spirit!"
--Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault, Oskaloosa, IA
 
"This story was poignant, inspiring and fascinating! There's so much to talk about! It will definitely make a great book club selection."
--Vicky Titcomb, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, MA
 
"This is my favorite book in the past year! The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is a MUST READ!! I couldn't put this Appalachian novel down!"
--Derrick Brunner, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, ID
 
"An absorbing read about the hill folk, the 'hollers,' and Bluet, the courageous protagonist who well knew that 'books'll learn you.'"
--Jessica Kaplan, Bronx River Books, Scardsdale, NY

"I'd give it 10 out of 10 stars. What isn't to love?”
--Victoria Patsantaras, Out West Books, Grand Junction, CO
 
"I look forward to putting this book into the hands of many, many readers who love historical fiction as much as I do!"
--Judy Manzo, Book Ends, Winchester, MA

"Reading this book captures why ignorance is the number one cause of prejudice... I will love selling this book."
--Joanne Berg, Mystery to Me, Madison, WI

"Beautiful. A love letter to a world that is gone and the fierce, smart people who inhabited it."
--Lee Virden Geurkink, Monkey and Dog Books, Fort Worth, TX

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About the Book

The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything--everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt’s Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome’s got its very own  traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter.  
 
Cussy’s not only a book woman, however, she’s also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy’s family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she’s going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler.
 
Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman’s belief that books can carry us anywhere--even back home.

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About the Author

KIM MICHELE RICHARDSON was born in Kentucky and resides part-time in Western North Carolina. Her works include Liar’s Bench, GodPretty in the Tobacco Field, and The Sisters of Glass Ferry. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is her fourth novel.