We first met Cussy Mary in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Her story was not an uncommon one, she was constantly looked down upon because of the color of her blue skin. But that didn't stop her from becoming a Pack Horse Librarian who most people came to love. That love is even more apparent in The Book Woman's Daughter.
The Book Woman's Daughter picks up nearly 17 years later, following Honey's story. Cussy Mary and Jackson Lovett accept Honey as their own when her birth parents passed. But this story picks up when both Cussy Mary and Jackson are hauled off to prison for violating miscegenation laws. Their racial makeup meant nothing when it came to their love, but the state of Kentucky thought differently in 1953.
Honey is sent back to Troublesome Creek to live with Retta, a close family friend. After moving back to Troublesome, Honey begins to see the blatant misogyny and discrimination that casts a dark shadow over the town. The abuse, the corruption, the lack of freedom really makes Honey think she can change things. Obviously, she follows in her mother's footsteps and signs up to be a Pack Horse Librarian.
This story is less about the power of books and more about the power of women. It's illustrated a world where men are responsible for making what they believed were the "best decisions" for women. A world where women are assaulted at work. A world where women are expected to marry young, yet don't have the freedom to live on their own. It's a sad story, with a lot of the same things happening even now, in 2022. This quote from Honey's lawyer really resonated with me, "Thought it rarely happens fast enough and not near as quick as it should...I expect like all ugly laws, change will come."
Looking for the rest of the series?
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