Book Description:
A brave fight for literacy during the Great Depression
Part of FDR’s New Deal was the Works Progress Administration, which funded the Pack Horse Library Initiative. Ride along with four book-loving women who bravely fight for literacy in remote communities during the Great Depression by carrying library books via horseback. Will their efforts be rewarded by finding love in the process?
Love’s Turning Page by Cynthia Hickey
1936, Ozark Mountains
Grace Billings jumped at the chance to be a traveling librarian, but she didn’t anticipate the long days of work, the intense poverty, or the handsome new schoolteacher whose love for the mountain people surpasses even her own.
In This Moment by Patty Smith Hall
1936, Pine Mountain, Georgia
Forced out of her nursing job due to budget cuts, Ruth Sims applies for a position with the Pack Horse Library incentive, only to discover she must go to the one place she swore never to return. The children instantly steal her heart with their thirst for books, and she’s happy in her post until she meets their teacher, Will Munroe—the man who broke her heart.
Book Lady of the Bayou by Marilyn Turk
1936, Mississippi
Forced out of her comfort zone, Lily Bee Davis travels by horse or boat taking books to remote areas. When she meets little Evie and her reclusive father at a dilapidated plantation house, she is drawn by their losses and longs to draw them out into life again.
The Lawman and the Librarian by Kathleen Y’Barbo
1936, Kentucky
Lottie Trent connects with a backwoods bully’s wife by secretly carrying messages for her in exchange for books. FBI agent Clayton Turnbow is on the trail of a criminal gang and discovers the packhorse librarian maybe a key member.
My Thoughts:
I enjoy reading about the women who carried books into the mountains to help
their communities. They traversed rough terrain, sometimes on a horse, others
on a mule. These four stories give us a snapshot of what they went through
while entertaining us with a romantic tale. I enjoyed the stories set in the Appalachian
Mountains so much. The story set in Mississippi made me shiver when Lily Bee
goes into the swamplands to deliver books. All four stories feature a strong
female character who is determined to help with the literacy of her community.
I particularly liked The Lawman and the Librarian. Lottie and Clayton have
a certain chemistry that made me want to read more. If you enjoy historical
romance and stories of brave women, you'll enjoy The Librarian's Journey.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review
are completely my own.