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What Members Thought
This is a historical fiction book written from the perspective of one of the travelling librarians in Kentucky in the 1930s. Throughout the book it also integrated the story of the Kentucky Blues - a group / family of people who were outcast because of a medical condition that gave their skin a blueish hue. The book reminded me of The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes.
Review to follow.
This is a good story about a "blue woman", perhaps the last of her kin, and the hardships of living in remote Kentucky and facing discrimination due to bigotry of her skin colour (and the sexist times of the novel setting - 1930s - 1940s) by both whites and blacks. It's also a story of a woman with a heart of gold, though she doesn't see herself in this way). ...more
This is a good story about a "blue woman", perhaps the last of her kin, and the hardships of living in remote Kentucky and facing discrimination due to bigotry of her skin colour (and the sexist times of the novel setting - 1930s - 1940s) by both whites and blacks. It's also a story of a woman with a heart of gold, though she doesn't see herself in this way). ...more
Loved it! I has no idea about the "blue people" of Kentucky which was really interesting but I also feel the novel shines some great light on racism and white privilege. Awesome read.
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After wanting to read this book for so long, but waiting for the hullabaloo to calm down, I finally settled down and read it over the weekend. I know that I am in the minority here, I liked the story but was expecting something more. Being a native Kentuckian, I am familiar with both the Pack Horse Librarian program as well as the Blue people. I was first introduced to the Pack Horse Librarian program back in 1973 when we had a Kentucky history section of 7th grade Social Studies. I also had a g
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This was an interesting story about two topics I knew nothing about--the blue people of Kentucky and the Pack Horse librarians. I thought Cussy was a fascinating and strong character. She put up with the prejudices around her, but never lost her class and kindness. The story was compelling and I truly felt her emotions as I was reading. The final chapter left me confused, though. The story moved quickly throughout, but the final chapter did a four year jump.
Cussy Mary Carter is the last known Blue person in Eastern Kentucky. The rare family condition makes her skin blue and darkens when she is agitated in any way. Treated in the hill country as Colored and shied away from she spends most of her time on her Back Pack Library job which she got by applying to the Project administration avoiding the local library heads. She has 4 routes each week with one day for administrative tasks. The routes can be dangerous at times physically and by human aggress
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Fantastic
This one will stay with me a while. So much insight into the culture and lifestyle in Appalachia, wound into a moving storyline.
This one will stay with me a while. So much insight into the culture and lifestyle in Appalachia, wound into a moving storyline.
Mar 06, 2020
Joann
marked it as to-read
Jul 26, 2020
Phyllis
marked it as to-read
Oct 24, 2020
Alison (Lady Coffin) S
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
Shelves:
book-club-to-reads
Oct 22, 2020
Jamie Burch
marked it as to-read
Nov 11, 2020
Tanya D
marked it as wishlist-to-read
