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The Last Blue: A Novel
A luminous narrative inspired by the fascinating real case of “the Blue People of Kentucky" that probes questions of identity, love, and family.
In 1937, there are recesses in Appalachia no outsiders have ever explored. Two government-sponsored documentarians from Cincinnati, Ohio—a writer and photographer—are dispatched to penetrate this wilderness and record what they find for President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. For photographer Clay Havens, the assignment is his last chance to reboot his flagging career. So when he and his journalist partner are warned away from the remote Spooklight Holler outside of town, they set off eagerly in search of a headline story.
What they see will haunt Clay into his old age: Jubilee Buford, a woman whose skin is a shocking and unmistakable shade of blue. From this happenstance meeting between a woman isolated from society and persecuted her whole life, and a man accustomed to keeping himself at lens distance from others, comes a mesmerizing story in which the dark shades of betrayal, prejudice, fear, and guilt, are refracted along with the incandescent hues of passion and courage.
Panning across the rich rural aesthetic of eastern Kentucky, The Last Blue is a captivating love story and an intimate portrait of what it is like to be truly one of a kind.
In 1937, there are recesses in Appalachia no outsiders have ever explored. Two government-sponsored documentarians from Cincinnati, Ohio—a writer and photographer—are dispatched to penetrate this wilderness and record what they find for President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. For photographer Clay Havens, the assignment is his last chance to reboot his flagging career. So when he and his journalist partner are warned away from the remote Spooklight Holler outside of town, they set off eagerly in search of a headline story.
What they see will haunt Clay into his old age: Jubilee Buford, a woman whose skin is a shocking and unmistakable shade of blue. From this happenstance meeting between a woman isolated from society and persecuted her whole life, and a man accustomed to keeping himself at lens distance from others, comes a mesmerizing story in which the dark shades of betrayal, prejudice, fear, and guilt, are refracted along with the incandescent hues of passion and courage.
Panning across the rich rural aesthetic of eastern Kentucky, The Last Blue is a captivating love story and an intimate portrait of what it is like to be truly one of a kind.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2020
235 people are currently reading
4763 people want to read
About the author
Isla Morley
4 books276 followersIsla Morley grew up in South Africa during apartheid, the child of a British father and fourth-generation South African mother. During the country's State of Emergency, she graduated from Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth with a degree in English Literature. By 1994 she was one of the youngest magazine editors in South Africa, but left career, country and kin when she married an American and moved to California. For more than a decade she pursued a career in non-profit work, focusing on the needs of women and children. Her debut novel Come Sunday won the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for Fiction and was a finalist for the Commonwealth Prize. Her novel Above was an IndieNext pick, a Best Buzz Book, and a Publishers Weekly Best New Book. The Last Blue is her third novel.
She has lived in some of the most culturally diverse places of the world, including Cape Town, London, Honolulu and now Los Angeles where she shares a home with her husband, daughter, three cats and five tortoises.
She has lived in some of the most culturally diverse places of the world, including Cape Town, London, Honolulu and now Los Angeles where she shares a home with her husband, daughter, three cats and five tortoises.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
September 24, 2021
The Last Blue has been on my wishlist for some time, and I’m so grateful to have read it. Five full stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Last Blue is the story of Clay Havens, working as a photographer during the Depression.
He travels to Kentucky on special assignment, and there he meets Jubilee Buford, whose skin is literally blue. Jubilee lives a hard life separate from society because of extreme prejudice against her because of her skin color and the fear surrounding her.
The writing is lush and eastern Kentucky is brought to life. I absolutely savored the words. I’ve read other books about the blue people of Kentucky, and this one definitely stands out.
The bonus is that the most endearing love develops between two of the characters. It’s a story I won’t soon forget and definitely a favorite.
Thank you to the author for the gifted copy. I also bought a copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
The Last Blue is the story of Clay Havens, working as a photographer during the Depression.
He travels to Kentucky on special assignment, and there he meets Jubilee Buford, whose skin is literally blue. Jubilee lives a hard life separate from society because of extreme prejudice against her because of her skin color and the fear surrounding her.
The writing is lush and eastern Kentucky is brought to life. I absolutely savored the words. I’ve read other books about the blue people of Kentucky, and this one definitely stands out.
The bonus is that the most endearing love develops between two of the characters. It’s a story I won’t soon forget and definitely a favorite.
Thank you to the author for the gifted copy. I also bought a copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
January 17, 2022
I have know about the Blue people for a while. After reading The Book-woman of Troublesome Creek. I have since read a lot about them just by googling for information. The book was on point. It was informative with action murder racism and romance. A bit of sadness too.
I will never understand why the color of someone’s skin matters. Why hate and racism exists because of. Nevertheless it is all brought up in this rare extraordinary book about The Blue People once tucked away in the Appalachians of Kentucky.
I will never understand why the color of someone’s skin matters. Why hate and racism exists because of. Nevertheless it is all brought up in this rare extraordinary book about The Blue People once tucked away in the Appalachians of Kentucky.
January 31, 2020
It's been a week and I still cannot stop thinking about this book. I was surprised the whole time because I truly have read nothing like it. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I'll just say that if you enjoy cinematic stories that take you on an emotional journey, this book is for you. I literally read until my eyes hurt so bad I had to rest with a wet washcloth over them.
March 3, 2020
The writing in The Last Blue is lyrical and the story is mesmerizing. Knowing that the Blue People of Kentucky really existed made me feel like I was truly experiencing history. It is a story of bullying and prejudice – different is different - and people reacted much the same back then as they do today. But more importantly it is a story of family, of sacrifice, of doing the right thing, and one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read. There is also murder and attempted murder. However, because of the skillful way the story is told jumping back and forth from 1937 to 1972 you will be kept in suspense until the very end about exactly what happened in Chance, KY in 1937. I highly recommend this for book clubs – the discussions will be endless.
August 2, 2021
Kentucky, 1937. Havens, photographer, and Massey, journalist, among others, are to document the hardship of rural people for President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration.
Chance is one of many towns in eastern Kentucky equipped for ten times as many people. They got the start due to the hardwoods, but the real boom came with the demand for coal. Once the insides of hills got carved out and “prosperity has taken off for others parts, leaving towns like this to slump into a state more pitiful than the one that preceded it.”
As Havens and Massey start talking to locals, they hear about blue coon hunting, but no one wants to elaborate on what that means.
Jubilee and her brother, Levi, remain the last of the blue people. Blue, because their veins are deficient of oxygen. And because of that, they are targets of hate.
From behind the bushes, Havens tries to take a first photo of Jubilee. When they meet face to face, her kindness strikes him. And what strikes a reader is the loneliness of two people. And their attraction moves them closer to each other.
Massey with his journalistic eye sees this family where two members are blue being treated like lepers. And they also have to deal with vandals. He sees bigotry based on medical factors. He tries to convince the family that his article on years of deep-seated prejudice would put a light on instigators and those afraid to speak up. But that’s not how the family sees it. It might complicate things even more.
The novel vividly portrays the prejudice and superstition, the rural lives of eastern Kentucky and what it truly means to be one of a kind. It is a very poignant story with descriptions that transport readers to a remote place with authentic atmosphere of that place. With realistic writing, this story sheds light on secluded people being different and because of being different that seclusion cuts much deeper, creating loneliness, which Jubilee feels deeply.
Personally, I like character-driven story and I’m not big on dialogue unless it really moves the story forward. So, I wish the characters of Jubilee and Levi were a bit more developed and the story having a bit less dialogue.
Chance is one of many towns in eastern Kentucky equipped for ten times as many people. They got the start due to the hardwoods, but the real boom came with the demand for coal. Once the insides of hills got carved out and “prosperity has taken off for others parts, leaving towns like this to slump into a state more pitiful than the one that preceded it.”
As Havens and Massey start talking to locals, they hear about blue coon hunting, but no one wants to elaborate on what that means.
Jubilee and her brother, Levi, remain the last of the blue people. Blue, because their veins are deficient of oxygen. And because of that, they are targets of hate.
From behind the bushes, Havens tries to take a first photo of Jubilee. When they meet face to face, her kindness strikes him. And what strikes a reader is the loneliness of two people. And their attraction moves them closer to each other.
Massey with his journalistic eye sees this family where two members are blue being treated like lepers. And they also have to deal with vandals. He sees bigotry based on medical factors. He tries to convince the family that his article on years of deep-seated prejudice would put a light on instigators and those afraid to speak up. But that’s not how the family sees it. It might complicate things even more.
The novel vividly portrays the prejudice and superstition, the rural lives of eastern Kentucky and what it truly means to be one of a kind. It is a very poignant story with descriptions that transport readers to a remote place with authentic atmosphere of that place. With realistic writing, this story sheds light on secluded people being different and because of being different that seclusion cuts much deeper, creating loneliness, which Jubilee feels deeply.
Personally, I like character-driven story and I’m not big on dialogue unless it really moves the story forward. So, I wish the characters of Jubilee and Levi were a bit more developed and the story having a bit less dialogue.
July 7, 2021
This book starts out with a bang: Man who loves animals. Check. Man with a mysterious relationship to a mysterious woman. Check. Outsider who visits man, which leads to a chase through a graveyard and a grave accusation. Check. I was hooked immediately.
And while the book ultimately turned out to be a love story (not usually my thing), it was more than that, touching on serious themes about discrimination, acceptance of differences, poverty, family loyalty, and trust. I was fascinated to learn about the real-life family with blue skin. And the landscape details … they were so lush and evocative. Character descriptions are impressive as well:
… the cool air smells salt-and-peppery and beneath the cottoned silence is the soft crinkling sound of beetles scurrying to their shelters, plants rolling up their leaves and cinching their petals together, tree limbs relaxing their hold on what’s left of the day.
… a small-boned woman who appears to hold her breath much of the time, as though she ought not to take more than her share of anything, least of all air.
… Meanness has stacked up unevenly on his face. The thick fleshy ridge that forms his brow casts a shadow over his eyes, which are already dark and hard as knots on a tree.
I would be remiss if I did not note that there is a misspelling on the very first pages of this book (creek vs. creak), which is something that generally would preclude me from purchasing a book, personally. I was intrigued enough by the book jacket copy that I forged ahead. AND.. that said… I would hate to see readers turn away for that reason alone, as that error (shame on the editors!) is not indicative of the remainder of the book in any way (not another misspelling and lush language throughout).
I enjoyed this book, and the tenderness of the relationship ended up being just what I needed.
And while the book ultimately turned out to be a love story (not usually my thing), it was more than that, touching on serious themes about discrimination, acceptance of differences, poverty, family loyalty, and trust. I was fascinated to learn about the real-life family with blue skin. And the landscape details … they were so lush and evocative. Character descriptions are impressive as well:
… the cool air smells salt-and-peppery and beneath the cottoned silence is the soft crinkling sound of beetles scurrying to their shelters, plants rolling up their leaves and cinching their petals together, tree limbs relaxing their hold on what’s left of the day.
… a small-boned woman who appears to hold her breath much of the time, as though she ought not to take more than her share of anything, least of all air.
… Meanness has stacked up unevenly on his face. The thick fleshy ridge that forms his brow casts a shadow over his eyes, which are already dark and hard as knots on a tree.
I would be remiss if I did not note that there is a misspelling on the very first pages of this book (creek vs. creak), which is something that generally would preclude me from purchasing a book, personally. I was intrigued enough by the book jacket copy that I forged ahead. AND.. that said… I would hate to see readers turn away for that reason alone, as that error (shame on the editors!) is not indicative of the remainder of the book in any way (not another misspelling and lush language throughout).
I enjoyed this book, and the tenderness of the relationship ended up being just what I needed.
February 28, 2020
Such a great story! Written with such regard family, nature and the unique beauty of love.
May 5, 2020
In "The Last Blue," Jubilee Buford definitely stands out. Her coloring is blue and she comes from a family that has some members who have had this distinctive coloring and have been the subject of a lot of scrutiny and intolerance at the hands of others in their small Kentucky town in the middle of Appalachia. Clay Havens, a photographer, finds himself in the middle of Appalachia to document everyday life for President Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration. What he will find, or rather who, will be anything but everyday. This book tackles a fascinating bit of history with a wonderful romance at the center of it!
Initially this book sort of almost has a magical realism vibe to it. Jubilee truly has a blue hue to her skin. When she goes out, she can't be missed. Her family is often equal parts protective and mystified by her condition. Because of her blue skin, she has bared the brunt of so much hatred and misunderstanding by those who won't even begin to give her a chance. I felt so bad for her throughout the book. It's clear that she is a really kind and decent person but she is often not given the chance to just be a normal person. The hate she faces is so raw and so devastating and so maddening.
Jubilee hates herself for what she looks like and she hates how much attention her looks bring her. When Havens first meets her, he is of course drawn to her because of what she looks like and as a photographer, he can't help but to want to take pictures of her. As he gets to know her, he sees that she is both beautiful inside and out and he falls so hard for her. I really loved the romance between Havens and Jubilee. They both initially come together with some trepidation but that quickly melts away as they get to know each other as people. The detail of how they fall for each is really amazing and I love how the author got us to cheer for this unlikely pairing.
I've said it before and I'll say it again but I love how historical fiction can introduce readers to things that they've never read about before. There really were blue people in Kentucky and they faced a lot of the things that Jubilee faced. This bit of history makes a great basis for a story that was really all-consuming for me. And the writing, oh, man, the writing! There are some amazing scenes throughout the book that really took me from the highest highs to the lowest lows and back again! I loved how much of a ride this book was! A mark of a good book for me is when I can't stop thinking about the story or the characters after I close the pages and these characters and their story are very much stuck to me!
Initially this book sort of almost has a magical realism vibe to it. Jubilee truly has a blue hue to her skin. When she goes out, she can't be missed. Her family is often equal parts protective and mystified by her condition. Because of her blue skin, she has bared the brunt of so much hatred and misunderstanding by those who won't even begin to give her a chance. I felt so bad for her throughout the book. It's clear that she is a really kind and decent person but she is often not given the chance to just be a normal person. The hate she faces is so raw and so devastating and so maddening.
Jubilee hates herself for what she looks like and she hates how much attention her looks bring her. When Havens first meets her, he is of course drawn to her because of what she looks like and as a photographer, he can't help but to want to take pictures of her. As he gets to know her, he sees that she is both beautiful inside and out and he falls so hard for her. I really loved the romance between Havens and Jubilee. They both initially come together with some trepidation but that quickly melts away as they get to know each other as people. The detail of how they fall for each is really amazing and I love how the author got us to cheer for this unlikely pairing.
I've said it before and I'll say it again but I love how historical fiction can introduce readers to things that they've never read about before. There really were blue people in Kentucky and they faced a lot of the things that Jubilee faced. This bit of history makes a great basis for a story that was really all-consuming for me. And the writing, oh, man, the writing! There are some amazing scenes throughout the book that really took me from the highest highs to the lowest lows and back again! I loved how much of a ride this book was! A mark of a good book for me is when I can't stop thinking about the story or the characters after I close the pages and these characters and their story are very much stuck to me!
January 3, 2020
What an incredible story to begin the New Year! This is a story of discrimination and prejudice, of families that bond together in isolation, and of the two strangers who enter their world, which has a profound effect on both themselves and the family.
Last year, I read *The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek", and was fascinated by this tale of people who lived in Eastern Kentucky whose skin is blue. I did some research, and found that this is true -- a genetic quirk is responsible.
I was absolutely drawn into this love story. Yes, it is a love story. A truly exceptional love story. Entwined with bullying, murder, fear, and everything else that assails those who are "different", in this case, non-white skinned. But there is love of a mother for her child, of a wife for her husband. Of a man for a woman, unlike himself and blue, but so very beautiful underneath. Their love story will go straight to your heart and grab hold and refuse to let go.
Read slowly. Cherish every word. Anticipate, be disappointed, cheer for these characters, and love them as they love each other.
I read this courtesy of Simon & Schuster/Pegasus and Edelweiss. pub date 05/05/20
Last year, I read *The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek", and was fascinated by this tale of people who lived in Eastern Kentucky whose skin is blue. I did some research, and found that this is true -- a genetic quirk is responsible.
I was absolutely drawn into this love story. Yes, it is a love story. A truly exceptional love story. Entwined with bullying, murder, fear, and everything else that assails those who are "different", in this case, non-white skinned. But there is love of a mother for her child, of a wife for her husband. Of a man for a woman, unlike himself and blue, but so very beautiful underneath. Their love story will go straight to your heart and grab hold and refuse to let go.
Read slowly. Cherish every word. Anticipate, be disappointed, cheer for these characters, and love them as they love each other.
I read this courtesy of Simon & Schuster/Pegasus and Edelweiss. pub date 05/05/20
June 16, 2020
I knew a great deal about the Kentucky blue people after reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, which prompted me to research about it. In this story you learn about the blue people when two documentarians travel to the Appalachian mountains to explore. What they discover is a family of Kentucky blue people. This was so much more than that. The story of Jubilee Buford who suffered from isolation and prejudice her whole life. Ridiculed for being different. This was bittersweet and beautiful. A love story. Emotional and very well written. This is a great book for book clubs.
Dawnny-BookGypsy
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
Dawnny-BookGypsy
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
October 26, 2021
I think I'm in a reading rut. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the author's writing style. This is a DNF for me.
April 7, 2020
The Last Blue is an unusual and beautifully told story of love in a time of isolation, set at an intersection of two intriguing and little know points of American history played out in remote Kentucky 80 years ago. The authenticity of the setting, the story and characters quickly drew me into that strange world, and kept satisfying and surprising to the end.
Many of the themes, like isolation, boundaries, belonging, identity, seem particularly relevant in the post Covid-19 world of today, and the book is an invitation to explore their significance to help build a better world. The Last Blue is a book of our times.
Many of the themes, like isolation, boundaries, belonging, identity, seem particularly relevant in the post Covid-19 world of today, and the book is an invitation to explore their significance to help build a better world. The Last Blue is a book of our times.
January 1, 2023
I'm not bawling. You're bawling! As slow as this one started (and not gonna lie I nearly returned it to the library a third time unfinished) I devoured the last third in one sitting. It's time slip and a cross between the Kentucky Applachians setting of The Book Woman's of Troublesome Creek × Where The Crawdads Sing discrimination and small town justice.
September 18, 2020
Beautifully & sensitively written.
January 28, 2024
"The Last Blue" successfully blends meaningful, well-developed characters with a shocking slice of history ... all delivered with captivating, immediately engaging writing. A photographer travels to a remote Appalachian town in the 1930s and makes an astonishing discovery: a family with blue skin. Initially reluctant to have anything to do with the photographer and the reporter who accompanies him, the family begins to warm to them after a surprising turn of events. What will be the long-lasting implications of letting them into their inner circle, though?
Based on a true story, "The Last Blue" runs deep with themes of judgment, racism, loyalty, and love. This was a beautiful novel that I'll likely be thinking of for a long time.
Based on a true story, "The Last Blue" runs deep with themes of judgment, racism, loyalty, and love. This was a beautiful novel that I'll likely be thinking of for a long time.
April 5, 2020
The story of “The Last Blue” is quite mesmerizing.
When a writer and photographer out of Cincinnati, Ohio travel deep into Appalachia to record, for President Roosevelt’s WPA, what they find. They had no idea what they are about to encounter in Spooklight Holler, but the revelations will stay with the Photographer, Clay Havens, his entire life.
This is a story of prejudice, persecution, intimidation, murder and Love and all based on the very true story of what went on in Chance, Kentucky in the late 30’s.
Through the generous sharing of this book by Book Club Cookbooks' Galley Match, our book club was able to all read and discuss The Last Blue. As we read, we grew more and more fond of Jubilee Buford, a woman whose skin is an unworldly shade of blue, and the photographer, Clay Havens. Clay is used to keeping himself distanced from human interaction by using his camera lens as a barrier. People use the fact of Jubilee’s blue skin to isolate and persecute her. Their story -their Love story – is so compelling it was hard to stop turning pages to read more. Subjects that came up during the discussion included the different forms of bullying; psychological and social exclusion, also using fear to isolate. Though there are many instances of betrayal and guilt, this book is so full of love, deep passion, true courage and persistence we were truly inspired by the Blue People of Kentucky and this story of The Last Blue
When a writer and photographer out of Cincinnati, Ohio travel deep into Appalachia to record, for President Roosevelt’s WPA, what they find. They had no idea what they are about to encounter in Spooklight Holler, but the revelations will stay with the Photographer, Clay Havens, his entire life.
This is a story of prejudice, persecution, intimidation, murder and Love and all based on the very true story of what went on in Chance, Kentucky in the late 30’s.
Through the generous sharing of this book by Book Club Cookbooks' Galley Match, our book club was able to all read and discuss The Last Blue. As we read, we grew more and more fond of Jubilee Buford, a woman whose skin is an unworldly shade of blue, and the photographer, Clay Havens. Clay is used to keeping himself distanced from human interaction by using his camera lens as a barrier. People use the fact of Jubilee’s blue skin to isolate and persecute her. Their story -their Love story – is so compelling it was hard to stop turning pages to read more. Subjects that came up during the discussion included the different forms of bullying; psychological and social exclusion, also using fear to isolate. Though there are many instances of betrayal and guilt, this book is so full of love, deep passion, true courage and persistence we were truly inspired by the Blue People of Kentucky and this story of The Last Blue
May 23, 2020
What a hauntingly beautiful book. The Last Blue tells the story of the Blue People of Kentucky, and if you enjoyed reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek or The Giver of Stars, then you surely will want to read this book.
I was completely riveted by this poignant story, which focuses on a family of Blues, living in a holler, hiding away from town and the people who are terrified of them and those who treat them with cruelty and prejuduce.
At its heart, this is a story about love, about family, and about what it truly means to be different. This book is written in exquisite prose, as the author describes not only the setting of this story, but also the great love that develops between two people who are worlds apart.
I was enthralled by the love story between Havens and Jubilee, who faced challenges both external and internal. I read so much of this book with my heart in my throat, worrying and hoping at the same time.
I was completely riveted by this poignant story, which focuses on a family of Blues, living in a holler, hiding away from town and the people who are terrified of them and those who treat them with cruelty and prejuduce.
At its heart, this is a story about love, about family, and about what it truly means to be different. This book is written in exquisite prose, as the author describes not only the setting of this story, but also the great love that develops between two people who are worlds apart.
I was enthralled by the love story between Havens and Jubilee, who faced challenges both external and internal. I read so much of this book with my heart in my throat, worrying and hoping at the same time.
July 17, 2022
Loved this book!
2 reporters head to the mountains of Kentucky looking for a story that will make them famous. The Buford family has been cast out of their community because 2 of their children have blue skin. Havens, the photographer, wants a picture that will sell their story. Jubilee has always run from “right colored folk” but ends up caring for one of the men after an unfortunate accident in the woods of Spook Holler.
This is about prejudice, family loyalty and love.
If you enjoyed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, you’ll want to read this as well!
2 reporters head to the mountains of Kentucky looking for a story that will make them famous. The Buford family has been cast out of their community because 2 of their children have blue skin. Havens, the photographer, wants a picture that will sell their story. Jubilee has always run from “right colored folk” but ends up caring for one of the men after an unfortunate accident in the woods of Spook Holler.
This is about prejudice, family loyalty and love.
If you enjoyed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, you’ll want to read this as well!
October 9, 2020
4.5/5 stars.
You can find my #bookreview for this Adult, Historical, Women's fiction about the Blue people of Kentucky, on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2020/09/2...
You can find my #bookreview for this Adult, Historical, Women's fiction about the Blue people of Kentucky, on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2020/09/2...
February 1, 2025
The blue people of Appalachia were an interesting phenomena and offer a new kind of glimpse into what racism looks like and how society creates hierarchies based on the smallest differences.
August 3, 2020
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book....It is absolutely breathtaking in every respect. I love Isla Morley's lyrical writing style, the characters are totally believeable and the story is an emotional roller-coaster. I got to one point and I had to force myself to stop because I just didn't want it to end.
The back-story of the "Blue people of Kentucky" is factual and I learned something about the medical condition, methemoglobinemia. (I must learn to pronounce that !!) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti...
I was also entrigued to read in the "About the author", that Isla Morley grew up during Apartheid in South Africa as I did !!!
The back-story of the "Blue people of Kentucky" is factual and I learned something about the medical condition, methemoglobinemia. (I must learn to pronounce that !!) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti...
I was also entrigued to read in the "About the author", that Isla Morley grew up during Apartheid in South Africa as I did !!!
June 4, 2020
This is my "L" book for the 2020 ABC Reading Challenge.
This book only came onto my radar because the author Isla Morley commented on my review of her book Above to check out her latest book. The description of it sounded so great and right up my alley that I replaced the book I had planned as "L" for this challenge so that I could prioritize this book. I'm saying that in case Isla Morley happens to read this to say your comment worked!
This book definitely gave me vibes of The Giver of Stars. The two books take place in around the same era, and although the stories are completely different they are both excellent stories that touch your feelings and introduce some unforgettable characters.
The Last Blue is definitely a love story, which I kind of wasn't expecting going into it. That being said, the story is so much bigger than just the two characters falling in love. It's about small towns and prejudice and it's made all the more interesting knowing that the Bufort family is based on real people who had blue skin. It makes me want to do even more research on that real family.
I loved the characters, Havens and Jubilee especially, but all side characters too really came to life, my favorites being Willow-May and Socall. Each one had a distinct personality and I really came to care about them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a historical love story that touches all your emotions. It is such a well-written story and I will be thinking about these characters for a long time. Can't wait to see what Isla Morley writes next.
This book only came onto my radar because the author Isla Morley commented on my review of her book Above to check out her latest book. The description of it sounded so great and right up my alley that I replaced the book I had planned as "L" for this challenge so that I could prioritize this book. I'm saying that in case Isla Morley happens to read this to say your comment worked!
This book definitely gave me vibes of The Giver of Stars. The two books take place in around the same era, and although the stories are completely different they are both excellent stories that touch your feelings and introduce some unforgettable characters.
The Last Blue is definitely a love story, which I kind of wasn't expecting going into it. That being said, the story is so much bigger than just the two characters falling in love. It's about small towns and prejudice and it's made all the more interesting knowing that the Bufort family is based on real people who had blue skin. It makes me want to do even more research on that real family.
I loved the characters, Havens and Jubilee especially, but all side characters too really came to life, my favorites being Willow-May and Socall. Each one had a distinct personality and I really came to care about them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a historical love story that touches all your emotions. It is such a well-written story and I will be thinking about these characters for a long time. Can't wait to see what Isla Morley writes next.
March 25, 2020
I have previously read a book by Morley and can't wait to being this one. She is a great storyteller and has a strong sense of pacing. The topic is very applicable to our current times and crisis.
June 28, 2020
Loved this book!!! Very well written!! It kept me turning the pages quickly!!!
May 28, 2020
THE LAST BLUE is the second novel (after THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK) I've read and loved in the last few months about the Blue people of Kentucky. Theirs is a fascinating story, which makes for fiction that is vibrant, heartbreaking, poignant, and thought-provoking. I loved everything about THE LAST BLUE, from its engaging heroine to its tender love story, to its atmospheric setting, to the ending that almost undid me entirely. It's a beautifully-written novel that addresses issues of prejudice, identity, family, acceptance, and self-discovery. But really, the tale is about love in all its complicated, messy, life-changing glory. THE LAST BLUE is simply a luminous, lovely novel that I can't recommend highly enough.
January 21, 2024
I went into this one skeptical because I ADORED The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek and worried that I'd compare the two storylines about the blue people of Kentucky. I was blown away!
Though there is a similar thread of a blue woman, the two storylines are very different. Jubilee is the "last" blue and she's lived an isolated life until a photographer, Havens, comes to get a photograph of her to sell to build his career. What they both don't realize is that their meeting will change both of their lives and teach them both lessons in empathy, self worth, and being true to oneself.
This book had me riveted, especially the second half. Heartbreaking and emotional in the "have to keep reading to see how it works out" kind of way.
Though there is a similar thread of a blue woman, the two storylines are very different. Jubilee is the "last" blue and she's lived an isolated life until a photographer, Havens, comes to get a photograph of her to sell to build his career. What they both don't realize is that their meeting will change both of their lives and teach them both lessons in empathy, self worth, and being true to oneself.
This book had me riveted, especially the second half. Heartbreaking and emotional in the "have to keep reading to see how it works out" kind of way.
Read
January 16, 2021DNF - I think I’ve not finished more so far this year that I’ve finished! No rating.
I read 66 pages and really didn’t care to read more. I found the Google account of the real Blue People in Kentucky more interesting than the book.
WOW - all those 5 star reviews - can’t believe I was reading the same book!
I read 66 pages and really didn’t care to read more. I found the Google account of the real Blue People in Kentucky more interesting than the book.
WOW - all those 5 star reviews - can’t believe I was reading the same book!
April 28, 2020
“Instead of bearing the burden of blue, the Bufords now bear the burden of grief, but where blue was something they all carried together – all of them accustomed to the shape, weight, and feel of it - grief now has them carrying their own separate burdens, making them all but strangers to one another.”
The Last Blue is a beautiful read. I read it as a part of a book club as an advanced reader copy through #GalleyMatch and #TheBookClubCookbook.
Based on factual information of the “blue people of Kentucky,” this fictional story is one of love and family. It is sensitively written and portrays the tight knit devotion of one family who supports each other while others want to see them gone.
Jubilee, a young, blue woman is the heart of the novel. She is strong, caring, and beautiful. The book is full of heart break and I appreciated it all.
The Last Blue is a beautiful read. I read it as a part of a book club as an advanced reader copy through #GalleyMatch and #TheBookClubCookbook.
Based on factual information of the “blue people of Kentucky,” this fictional story is one of love and family. It is sensitively written and portrays the tight knit devotion of one family who supports each other while others want to see them gone.
Jubilee, a young, blue woman is the heart of the novel. She is strong, caring, and beautiful. The book is full of heart break and I appreciated it all.
April 21, 2020
I read this book thanks to The Book Club Cookbook's GalleyMatch program for our family book club. It seems I've finished it far ahead of the rest of my family; though the story started a bit slow, once it got going I couldn't put it down.
The narrative is inspired by the real-life existence of the Blue People of Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. It is a story about prejudice, about family, and it's also a beautiful love story. Heartbreak abounds, but so does beauty and care and perseverance.
The writing is GORGEOUS. Lyrical, deeply poetic, and so so rich. The POV switches back and forth between the two main characters, Havens and Jubilee, but it could be argued that the third main character is the landscape of Kentucky itself. I have never visited, but Morley made me feel wholly connected to her novel's setting in a way few authors have. Major hats off.
There were just a few moments when things felt undercooked or too easy a leap. It never took me fully out of the story, but I think these moments stood out to me because the storytelling as a whole is so fleshed out and mostly kept me guessing throughout as to what was coming next.
The narrative is inspired by the real-life existence of the Blue People of Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. It is a story about prejudice, about family, and it's also a beautiful love story. Heartbreak abounds, but so does beauty and care and perseverance.
The writing is GORGEOUS. Lyrical, deeply poetic, and so so rich. The POV switches back and forth between the two main characters, Havens and Jubilee, but it could be argued that the third main character is the landscape of Kentucky itself. I have never visited, but Morley made me feel wholly connected to her novel's setting in a way few authors have. Major hats off.
There were just a few moments when things felt undercooked or too easy a leap. It never took me fully out of the story, but I think these moments stood out to me because the storytelling as a whole is so fleshed out and mostly kept me guessing throughout as to what was coming next.
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