Ask a Bookseller: 'The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek'

Have you ever had a book call to you from the shelf? Emily Peterson of Page 42 Bookstore in Spokane, Wash., says she kept being drawn to the novel "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek," noticing the cover, reading the back until she finally took it home to read.Then, she could hardly put it down.The historical fiction novel by Kim Michele Richardson is set during the Great Depression in rural Kentucky, when packhorse librarians traveled long distances on mules to carry books to Appalachian families. In Troublesome Creek, that traveling librarian is Cussy May Carter, who was born with blue skin.Her fictional character is based on a real family in the area, the Fugates, whose blue-tinged skin was due to a recessive gene. Carter's presence in town stirs up prejudice and superstition.Peterson recommends this "heart-filled" story of courage and the enduring power of books.