Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

17 reviews

jedore's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

“Their hunger for books could teach them of a better life free of the hunger, but without food they'd never live long enough or have the strength to find it.”

This is a moving and educational work of historical fiction set in 1930s Kentucky. The story follows Cussy Mary Carter, one of the last living “blue people” of Kentucky and a dedicated packhorse librarian. As part of the WPA’s Packhorse Library Project, launched under FDR’s New Deal, Cussy rides through the rugged Appalachian terrain to deliver books and hope to impoverished families. Cussy faces prejudice due to her unusual blue-tinged skin (she's actually considered to be "colored" like her black neighbors) and her role as a working woman; her resilience and love for books help her to keep forging connections and transforming lives in her community. 

Kim Michele Richardson, a Kentucky native, is deeply connected to the region she writes about. She is also the author of a memoir, The Unbreakable Child, which explores her own experiences of abuse in a Catholic orphanage. Her personal history and love for her home state infuse her writing with authenticity and compassion.  

This book introduced me to two fascinating pieces of history I previously knew nothing about:  

1. The Packhorse Librarians: This program was part of FDR’s New Deal during the Great Depression and aimed to increase literacy in remote regions while giving people in need work so they could survive. The mostly female packhorse librarians rode miles on horseback, often through treacherous conditions, to bring books and education to families in rural areas who had little to no access to  them otherwise.  

2. The Blue People of Kentucky: Cussy Mary is based on a real genetic condition known as methemoglobinemia, which caused the skin of some families in Kentucky to appear blue. The condition, though harmless, made them the subject of ridicule and discrimination.  

While the plot was somewhat formulaic, I still enjoyed this book. The details about the packhorse librarians and the struggles of the blue-skinned people brought a new perspective on resilience, prejudice, and the transformative power of books.  

If you’re looking for a story that combines history, heart, and a unique heroine, this one is well worth your time!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Medical content

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual violence

Minor: Stalking

lillian_hallelujah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Classism

ldsbookgrl's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Rape

khaben31's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

giraffefightinggravity's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

It's a good book, it's just not my kind of book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Hate crime, Misogyny, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Murder

Minor: Forced institutionalization

anenome's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

The story of Cussy Mary really drew me in, she was an extremely lovable and inspiring character.
The book is very informative, I learnt so much about the Pack Horse Library and blue people.
So many traumatic things happen at breakneck speed, it's incredibly emotionally affecting.
The audiobook narrator Katie Schoor was outstanding.

The writing style isn't very poetic and feels unsophisticated, it makes sense because the story is told in Cussy Mary's voice but it sometimes grated. 
The plot is repetitive;

someone bullies or assaults Cussy and somebody else will turn up and save her.

There was some oppression olympics saying anti-blue sentiment was worse than racism which was really unnecessary.

I would recommend this book as I learnt a lot from it and I enjoyed the rollercoaster of emotions it put me through.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

courtsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

Use of n-word.

knkoch's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I have mixed feelings on this one. I do think that stories about the impoverished, underserved communities in the Appalachian mountains aren't told enough. The miner's union and government outreach library program plots were interesting and informative. However, there was a high misery quotient here. And the depiction of the discrimination against the white main character (who has bluish skin due to an inherited medical condition) felt overdone, as if wanting to appropriate the experience of anti-black racism. It seems like a pack horse librarian's job was plenty interesting and challenging on its own without that added element. I guess it felt like the author was building on her considerable research into 1930s Kentucky and creating a plot with more wishful thinking and

highly specious romance

than I could buy into. I thought Demon Copperhead, set during the opiod crisis, was a more nuanced depiction of Appalachian communities and the entrenched issues they grapple with. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment

samburkhouse's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Classism

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I usually love historical fiction but this one took so long to get going that I struggled a lot at first. It didn’t really take off for me until about 100 pages in which is nearly halfway, and that’s why I didn’t rate it higher. The second half of the book kept me reading and I didn’t want to put it down. The historical aspects of the KY Pack Horse program and the blue people of Kentucky were fascinating as a native Kentuckian, especially because I had never heard of the former prior to reading this book. The story is sad and tells of the hardships of rural, Appalachian life in the 1930’s and 40’s with candor and grace. It definitely makes you appreciate the technological, medical, and social advancements we’ve made and just how hardy a people the folks from mining country truly are. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism