Review of THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER by Kim Michele Richardson (New Release)

 2.5 Stars

This is a sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.  Like most sequels, it is a disappointment.

When the parents of sixteen-year-old Honey Lovett are imprisoned for breaking miscegenation laws, Honey’s future is in jeopardy.  Wanting to avoid going to an orphans’ home or being sent to the House of Reform, she needs a guardian.  When that arrangement is not an option, she decides to seek emancipation which would leave her free and independent.  To show she is capable of caring for herself, she follows her mother’s footsteps and becomes an outreach librarian, a job which brings her into contact with new friends and enemies. 

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek reveals so much about the Blue People of Kentucky, the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, and life in Appalachian Kentucky.  The Book Woman’s Daughter, however, offers few new historical elements; it merely recycles information already known to readers of the first book.

The one addition is female characters in male-dominated jobs:  Pearl is a fire tower ranger and Bonnie is a coal miner.  Unfortunately, these characters end up seeming like mere plot devices to emphasize the struggles of women living in a world dominated by men.  The book’s message is that “’Laws about females never make a lick of sense because they’re made and run by men and meant to keep us in bondage’” so women must be courageous to stand up against injustice and inequality.

There were several elements that irritated me.  First there’s the repetition:  How many times must we be told that Junia is stubborn and doesn’t like men?  How many threatening encounters must Honey have with Perry Gillis once he is clearly identified as her enemy?  Then there are the plot holes:  The office of Honey’s lawyer is open after 6 p.m. on a Sunday?  Honey writes down “the directions for the nurse to find Retta’s home” but doesn’t leave the note and has to return later?  Why would the doctor’s wife rely on Honey for books since there is a public library in town?  What’s with the pre-occupation with clean clothes:  Before spending a night with Doc and his wife, Honey goes home to “’pack clean clothes’” and then tells Doc that she “’packed my clean dress’” but then finds that Doc’s wife laundered and folded her clothes overnight?

Finally, there’s the portrayal of Honey.  The author wants her to be a brave heroine so she has Honey save a child.  The author wants her to be intelligent so Honey, not her lawyer, first mentions emancipation.  But then she is so stupid that she doesn’t tie up Junia, a mule who tends to run away?  And after overhearing a conversation which clearly indicates the speakers’ intentions, she wonders “what Gillis and his kin were up to”?  Honey’s father gives her a clear answer about dating, but she says, “’I haven’t received permission yet.  I might need to call Papa again’’?!  She will disobey Gillis and give his wife an “immoral” book, thereby endangering herself and Guyla Belle, but won’t date without permission?  What is particularly annoying is that Honey, though she claims she loves books, seldom reads! 

Having really liked The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, I looked forward to The Book Woman’s Daughter.  However, I found little to enjoy.  The narrative arc is obvious from the beginning; the protagonist behaves inconsistently though we are to admire her; and scenes have unnecessary melodramatic flourishes.  The first book offers substantial historical information but, other than brief references to Moonlight Schools, Hallie Daggett and female fire lookouts, and the Frontier Nursing Service, the second book tediously repeats historical facts from the first.  I think readers might enjoy The Book Woman’s Daughter more if they’ve not read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.