The Bookseller of Troubles Creek

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a historical novel by American author Kim Michele Richardson about the realities of Appalachia during the Great Depression.

The year is 1936. Deep in the Appalachian forests, in the town of Troublesome Creek, Kentucky, lives nineteen-year-old Cussy Carter - the last descendant of a rare line of blue-skinned people. The lonely girl joins the historic Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian. On her faithful mule, Cussy navigates treacherous river crossings and dangerous mountain trails to deliver books and other printed materials to the impoverished residents of Kentucky.

On this difficult journey, Cussy, whom the mountain dwellers call "the Cornflower," faces prejudice against her unusual blue skin and distrust of the new government book project. She finds friends among the stern but sincere mountain people and strives to bring them solace, joy, and a love of reading. Cussy opens the door to distant worlds hidden in books for those who have nothing. The narrative is inspired by the true story of the blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the horseback librarians of the 1930s.