Troublesome Creek, Kentucky in the 1930’s is a hardscrabble place to live, filled with prejudice and superstition. Many of the men work in mines that are not safe and the women stay at home in the backwoods and hollers trying to eke a living from their small gardens and raising their children. There is little opportunity and there is much poverty.

Cussy Mary Carter and her father live in one of the hollers close to Troublesome Creek. Her father works in the mine, but is also a part of the union movement which is trying to get better working conditions for the miners. Cussy, named for the area in France where her ancestors came from, has been working as a Book Woman for the WPA. Every week she travels through the area, visiting homesteads and schools on her donkey, carrying books and distributing reading material to anyone who expresses an interest. For Cussy, the job is not only a way to earn some money and make a difference, but it also helps take away the sting of being a Blue.

Cussy is the last of her kind. Both her parents were Blue, a congenital condition where their skin takes on a faintly bluish tinge and the nails on their hands and feet are blue. When Cussy gets embarrassed or flustered the blood rushes to her face making it as blue as a blueberry. Needless to say Blues are considered strange and suspicious, and are often blamed for any trouble that comes to these rural mountains. In fact many Blues have been killed by folks trying to blame someone else for their own bad luck.

But being a Book Woman allows Cussy to have role beyond what her skin color might allow and gives her a purpose as she travels from homestead to homestead, talking with people and helping them as best she can. Her father, however, has different plans and insists that she get married and give up her job as a Book Woman. Even as she fights to keep her independence and her job, more troubles come to Troublesome Creek and Cussy, must find the inner strength and courage to claim her place and a life of her own.

Richardson has clearly done a lot of research into this time frame, the WPA and the congenital condition known as Methemoglobinemia which was first found in eastern Kentucky. The pictures of the Book Women of the WPA at the end of the book were particularly interesting and gave me a different perspective on what I had read. Richardson is able to describe the hardscrabble people of Troublesome Creek without any condescension, but with empathy and dignity. Cussy, herself, is an amazing character, resilient, and tender, strong and yet rightfully scared of the prejudice that threatens her very existence. This was a fascinating book about a part of history I did not know and I think you will enjoy it too!

Brenda’s Rating: ****(4 Out Of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to? Marian, Lauren, Keith and Sharon.

Book Study Worthy? Yes

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