The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson – 384 pages
ARC from Sourcebook and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
When Cussy Lovett, a Packhorse Librarian famed for bringing books to the people of Appalachia, is unjustly incarcerated, she finds a new calling as a prison librarian, bringing hope to downtrodden women and voiceless city residents alike, finding a home even while separated from those she loves.
My Review: 4.5 stars
The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson was an incredible continuation to the two previous books in this series – my favorite being the first, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I was so happy to be back with sweet, blue, Cussy Lovett.
Learning of her unfortunate and quite ridiculous jail sentence for breaking the miscegenation law of the time was heartbreaking. Both Cussy and her husband had been hiding deep in the woods until they were incarcerated in separate jails. With little communication available and just a few letters from her beloved daughter, Honey, Cussy’s circumstances went from bad to worse. Prison wasn’t easy for her, but she makes the best of it as a dishwasher, bookkeeper and eventually a prison librarian.
Her love of books and teaching others to read is a strong theme in the novel. Suddenly those that were scared of Cussy’s blue skin, befriended her after learning to read and/or write. There are so many beautiful moments in the book, and also some dark ones. Much of the book takes place outside of her beloved mountains and that too, is so difficult on her.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction and learning about life in the Appalachian mountains, you’re in luck. The novel was written with such care and continuity of the prior books. I hope to see at least one more in this series. Fingers crossed!
Quotes I liked:
We are more than man and wife. We’re knitted in bone.”
“Here, we are nothing but birds without song.”
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