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Fiction. Romance. Christian Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML: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 commun… (more)
User reviews
For such a hard time in this countries history, most of the character's here show such great faith and have upbeat outlook on life and a real love of God.
Come travel the mountain trails of Kentucky, where most of these folks eke out a living working at the coal mines. With the decline in the economy President Roosevelt establishes the WPA, Work Projects Administration, and establishing a library on horseback to deliver to this remote hilly area.
You will quickly have some favorite characters, and some you really won't care for, but, I found my opinions changing for some by the end!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Waterbrook, and was not required to give a positive review.
Promise you won’t let their actions dictate your reactions - Miss West, library director
For Addie Cowherd, life is made up of studying hard and working part-time at the library so that she can earn her degree. College is not available to everyone, and she
Emmett Tharp, formerly of Boone’s Hollow, had graduated from college and is ready to find that job that does not require him to spend long hours in the dark, breathing in coal dust. Returning to Boone’s Hollow is not part of that plan. The Lord, however, seems to have other plans for both Emmett and Addie. Will they be receptive to His will?
This ARC was received through WaterBrook and Random House. The thoughts and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.
Kim
In 1936, Addie Cowherd and Emmett Tharp, near strangers, and separate of each other, leave college in Lexington, KY, and attempt to make their respective homes in Boone’s Hollow (pronounced ”Holler” by the mountain folk). Emmett is rejected because of his outside education; Addie, for being a total stranger to an area where being a stranger ”like to as not” can get you shot on sight.
Sawyer shows us throughout the story what life in the mountains could be like. Superstitions run high, distrust of strangers is learned early, family feuds are fed for generations, and anyone stepping off the mountain is seen as a traitor.
Stills hide in the trees, feeding addiction, which then, in turn, feeds abuse, yet neighbors refuse to break the ”code of honor.”
I couldn’t believe that at the end of the story, Ms. Sawyer had me loving the person she had shown unlovable. That’s talent! And those are characters- who can forgive that mightily! So much to learn, more than even reading, from the people of ”Boone Holler.”
My two favorite characters (who like to be too shy to take a bow) would be Emmett’s mother, Damaris, and Nanny Fay. They just might could be the backbone of the mountain.
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley. I also bought my own copy, to be sure I didn’t miss it. All opinions are my own, and no positive review was required.
Notable Quotables:
“...yawning during a sermon is most certainly a sin.”
“Just ’cause nobody else knows you done somethin’ extra special don’t mean it ain’t special.”
”She’d cracked that mirror herself so her soul could escape if the mirror captured it, but she didn’t want to take no chances by looking at herself too long.”
I have read many of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s books, but I think this is my favorite. The people are easy to love, and having lived the largest part of my life in the South, I can attest to the superstitions and old wives’ tales that used to run rampant (and in some areas still do) through its annals. Sawyer has done a wonderful job of capturing the desolation and isolation in the hills of Kentucky, and her superlative research shines throughout the story.
The Christian element runs compellingly through the book in the female protagonist, Addie Cowherd, who exemplifies her faith in steadfast, infallible ways. And, even though she is not accepted as she hoped she would be, she carries on, nonetheless. Sawyer’s ability to interweave convincing and effective scriptural truths without beating one over the head with it is much needed and refreshing.
I hated to leave Boone’s Hollow as each character became as real to me as possible. I would love to see a sequel to The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow.
I received The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow from Waterbrook through NetGalley. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. The writing is so clear it is easy to envision the struggles Addie had to learn to ride a horse and how hard it was to fit in Boone Hollow as an outsider. It is heart-warming to see the generosity of her parent’s friends and church members with helping supply the library needs. I enjoyed reading of the dangers the men face with mining and the precautions they need to take and the jobs the government created for those who needed them during the depression. This story does touch on the topic of abuse and prejudice, and the love and support given to those in need.
I received an ebook copy of this story from Waterbrook Multnomah publishing through NetGalley, this is my honest review.
Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Pages: e-book
Year: 2020
Publisher: WaterBrook
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
The year is 1936. The place is Kentucky. Addie Cowherd is studiously preparing for her final exams to complete her junior year in college. She is called to the
Emmett Tharp meets Addie Cowherd briefly at a college gathering at school and likes her, but he is graduating in a few days, hoping for a job at a corporation. When no jobs are to be had, Emmett returns home to Boone’s Hollow. He hopes to get an office job at the mining operation that has supported the local economy for years, but that comes to no fruition. He hears of a local job with the WPA program sponsored by FDR to put people back to work after the depression. The job is as the head librarian in charge of sending out delivery of books to the local population. He enquires about the job only to discover it has just been filled by someone else. With no alternatives left, he has his father teach him all he knows about mining to prepare him for a physically intense job in the mines. He thinks his college education was for naught and that it created a distance between himself and his father.
There is much more to this story than the romance between Emmett and Addie. There other people in the story are just as interesting. I think this story is about relationships and how each person finds his/her role. Sometimes what one thinks about someone can change when a relationship is engaged in rather than just observed from the outside. Prejudice, acceptance, love and determination are just a few of the many themes/topics present in the story. The author certainly did her research well and wove that into the story seamlessly. I always enjoy this author’s historical tales.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
It is a different point of view, than others that I've read on the subject. Didn't necessarily care for it, while I was reading it, but later after giving it some thought,
It's good to get a different view of the pack horse librarians.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, although I found it about average and not as good as another book about a pack horse librarian that I was reading at the time. It is an enjoyable read for someone who enjoys Christian historical romances with colorful characters.