Historical Fiction Book Review: The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Book Description:
A traveling librarian ventures into the mining towns of Kentucky on horseback—and learns to trust the One who truly pens her story—in this powerful novel from the best-selling author of A Silken Thread.

During the Great Depression, city-dweller Addie Cowherd dreams of becoming a novelist and offering readers the escape that books had given her during her tragic childhood. When her father loses his job, she is forced to take the only employment she can find—delivering books on horseback to poor coal-mining families in the hills of Kentucky.

But turning a new page will be nearly impossible in Boone's Hollow, where residents are steeped in superstitions and deeply suspicious of outsiders. Even local Emmett Tharp feels the sting of rejection after returning to the tiny mountain hamlet as the first in his family to graduate college. And as the crippled economy leaves many men jobless, he fears his degree won’t be worth much in a place where most men either work the coal mine or run moonshine.

As Addie also struggles to find her place, she’ll unearth the truth about a decades-old rivalry. But when someone sets out to sabotage the town’s library program, will the culprit chase Addie away or straight into the arms of the only person who can help her put a broken community back together?

My Review:
As a former librarian, I enjoy the stories of these brave souls who ventured into the mountains to deliver literature. In The Librarian of Boone's Hollow, Addie's life is opened to a whole new world she never imagined. Set in the time following the Great Depression, Addie takes the only job she can find. I love the Kentucky mountain setting and variety of characters. Addie, Bettina, and Emmett venture into a time where they need to rely on God and one another, even when they think they can't. I love how the author brings out important issues and effortlessly weaves them into the story. Her writing offers hope. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.