DGC Book Club: “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek”

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. By Kim Michele Richard. 2019 Fiction

              October 1 – Thursday

   Brown bag lunch 12:30 – Book discussion begins 1:00 Davis Senior Center Genealogy library

Cussy Mary Carter is a 19-year-old from Troublesome Creek, Kentucky born with a rare genetic condition causing her skin to be tinged blue. Cussy lives with her widowed father, a coal miner who relentlessly attempts to marry her off. As part of the new governmental program aimed at bringing reading material to isolated rural Kentuckians, Cussy rides a mule over treacherous terrain, delivering books and periodicals to people of limited means. Cussy’s patrons refer to her as “Bluet” or “Book Woman,” and she delights in bringing them books as well as messages, medicine, and advice. When a local pastor takes a nefarious interest in Cussy, claiming that God has sent him to rid society of her “blue demons,” efforts to defend herself leave Cussy at risk of arrest, or worse. The local doctor agrees to protect Cussy in exchange for her submission to medical testing. As Doc finds answers about Cussy’s condition, she begins to re-examine what it means to be a Blue and what life after a cure might look like. With a focus on the personal joy and broadened horizons that can result from access to reading material, this well-researched tale serves as a solid history lesson on 1930s Kentucky. Recommended by Cyndi Young 

To find a copy of the book, we recommend a public library, audible.com, Amazon, local bookstores, eBay, AddAll.com, betterworldbooks.com, thriftbooks.com and other locations for used books.