I was interested in this book because it's about books!...and an interesting time period in our history...and a region that I know nothing about (besides what I've seen on Ozark). It is historical fiction set in Depression-era Kentucky based in some true fact about a group of blue people. This book was seriously sad. Aside from the poverty, death, disease, abuse, and discrimination described in the storyline, there are many specific trigger warnings that should be considered when choosing this book.
The writing style was ok. It was a little simple and surface level, but it still managed to rip my heart out with the devastation that the characters faced. I appreciated the absolute dedication that the MC showed toward the people in her community and her job as a bookwoman on horseback in the Appalachia region of the US. There are themes of friendship, feminism, "racism," workers' rights, and the effects of poverty. There are also touches of romance, but they were my least favorite parts of the book.
I wish there had been more depth to the characters across the board. Like, so much bad happened to them that I wanted to know them more as people and connect with them on an emotional level. I'm glad I read this, but I would recommend it with caution. If you want to read a niche, historically-set story and you're also be able to stomach the sadness of back woods, 1930s America, this might be the book for you.
The writing style was ok. It was a little simple and surface level, but it still managed to rip my heart out with the devastation that the characters faced. I appreciated the absolute dedication that the MC showed toward the people in her community and her job as a bookwoman on horseback in the Appalachia region of the US. There are themes of friendship, feminism, "racism," workers' rights, and the effects of poverty. There are also touches of romance, but they were my least favorite parts of the book.
I wish there had been more depth to the characters across the board. Like, so much bad happened to them that I wanted to know them more as people and connect with them on an emotional level. I'm glad I read this, but I would recommend it with caution. If you want to read a niche, historically-set story and you're also be able to stomach the sadness of back woods, 1930s America, this might be the book for you.