"Pa liked that just fine, saying it was best, safer for me, the last of our kind, the last one. But I'd read about those kinds in the magazines. The eastern elk, the passenger pigeon. The extinctions." From the beginning, this book will capture your attention, break your heart, have you crying and mad enough to spit all at the same time. Cussy Mary is a "blue," one of a small group of people with a blue tinge to their skin; she even has the nickname "Bluet." She also is one of the Pack Horse Library Project workers. Being a Book Woman is a bit extraordinary, but Cussy Mary enjoys providing books to her patrons scattered up and down the hollers despite the natural hazards as well as the danger from mean-spirited residents who distrust anyone different.
As you read, you will see the natural beauty that surrounds the harsh living conditions of the miners and their families. The fact that they are trying to survive the miserable economy of the 1930s makes the outlook even more bleak. Modern readers will be amazed at the home remedies Cussy Mary's neighbors try and the edibles they manage to forage from the woods around them.
But the most enjoyable thing to see is Bluet's spirit, her inner strength despite all the sorrows and hardships, and the hope for a better future for her will keep you reading until the last page.
If you enjoy historical fiction with resilient heroines, you must read this book.
I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes. Pub date is set for May 7, 2019.
No comments:
Post a Comment