The Mountains We Call Home
- Judith D Collins
- Apr 21
- 7 min read
The Book Woman's Legacy
Narrator: Katie Schorr
ISBN: 978-1464239342
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Publication Date: 04/21/2026
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
In this standalone and companion novel to the The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series, our heroine for the ages, legendary book woman, Cussy Lovett, returns home. A powerful testament of strength, survival, and the magic of the printed word, The Mountains We Call Home is wrapped into a vivid portrait of Kentucky life: examining incarceration and criminalization, exploring the effects on the poor and powerless, and tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds, along with nostalgic glimpses of a bustling, multifaceted Louisville, and heartwarming portraits of reading efforts in every facet of life.
Meticulously researched and richly detailed with a new cast of absorbing and complex characters, this beautifully rendered, authentic Kentucky tale is gritty and heartbreaking and infused with hope, spirit, and courage known only to those with no way out.
My Review
In THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME, by Kim Michele Richardson (one of my favorite authors), the story centers around the remarkable figure of Cussy Lovett, also known as Cussy Mary Carter, a legendary Packhorse Librarian.
Set against the backdrop of mid-century Kentucky, the novel delves into the profound challenges of the era, highlighting the harsh social and legal obstacles Cussy faces as she passionately carries the gift of literature to her isolated mountain community.
This third installment is a captivating journey of hope and redemption, not only exploring the resilience of the human spirit but also painting a vivid portrait of a time and place steeped in both beauty and adversity.
Highlights...
"The Mountains We Call Home" is widely recognized as a powerful, gritty, and emotionally satisfying conclusion to the Book Woman trilogy, expertly blending meticulous historical research with authenticity and the characters' fierce, resilient hearts. The narrative is praised for offering a hopeful, hard-won resolution to Cussy Lovett's story, effectively transforming the series into a profound saga about identity and survival.
~Wrongful Incarceration 1953
~Prison Librarianship
~A Dangerous Pregnancy
~Louisville & Urban Renewal
~Fight for Empowerment
~Themes of Resilience
The captivating story explores the deep prejudice against the "blue people" of Kentucky and the systemic criminalization of the poor. It serves as a satisfying concluding installment to the trilogy.
My thoughts...
In THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME, the author describes the Kentucky life that is "richly detailed" and "beautifully rendered", rich in character, time, and place. I adored Cussy in the first book and was delighted to follow her incredible journey with courage and determination throughout all the obstacles, injustices, and challenges she has faced.
Meticiously researched, Richardson pays homage to real figures and initiatives, such as the Moonlight Schools and Packhorse Librarians. Focusing on the intersection of identity, systemic injustice, and the restorative power of education. The story examines the 1950s legal system's targeting of the "poor and powerless".
A central focus of the novel is the "healing power of books". Cussy uses reading and writing to restore dignity to prisoners and empower marginalized communities, viewing literacy as a path to freedom and self-advocacy.
Libraries serve as a motif for sanctuary and connection. Whether in a mountain holler or a prison cell, they represent a retreat from physical and social bondage. The physical shift from the "hills and hollers" of Appalachia to the urban environment of Louisville symbolizes the character's internal journey from isolation to a broader social fight for justice.
Cussy Lovett uses books to bring hope and a sense of freedom to incarcerated women and underserved city residents, viewing literacy as a tool to overcome "bigotry, hate, and fear".
The narrative emphasizes the "fierce love" and "quiet strength" required to endure extreme cruelty and social isolation. Cussy must rely on her inner courage and the sanctuary of books to survive imprisonment, family separation, and the safety of her unborn child.
A significant portion of the plot traces how systemic forces, such as incarceration and miscegenation laws, tear families apart and examines the long-term societal effects of these broken connections.
Richardson brilliantly highlights the real-world history of the era, including the harsh treatment of female prisoners and the legal barriers preventing people of color from exercising basic rights like voting or choosing whom to marry.
The author's prose is atmospheric and "richly descriptive, capturing the unique culture and dialogue of the Kentucky hills.
The real-life Blue People of Kentucky faced significant social stigma and discrimination that kept them isolated for over 150 years. While much of their hardship was social, it had profound legal and community consequences.
Despite the "gritty and heartbreaking" events, the story is full of hope, portraying the "magic of the written word" as a means for individual and communal redemption. The central themes center on the restorative nature of literacy and the systemic challenges faced by marginalized individuals in mid-century Kentucky.
THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME is a story defined by its emotional depth and historical authenticity.
Themes...
~The Transformative Power of Literacy
~Systemic Injustice & Criminalization
~Resilience & Survival
~Books & Libraries
~The Consequences of Fractured Family Bonds
~Historical Realities of Prejudice
~Kentucky Folklore & Superstitions
~Geography & Setting
~The "Blue People."
~Hope & Redemption
Narrative Style...
~Authentic Grittiness
~Historical Accuracy
~Symbolism & Motifs
Vibes...
~Gritty & Heartbreaking
~Dark & infused with Hope & Spirit
~Triumphant & Uplifting
~Vivid & Immersive
Character Qualities...
~Fierce & Steadfast
~Courage & Resilient
Literary & Narrative...
~Meticulously Researched
~Mesmerizing Page-Turner
~Atmospheric & Lyrical
Metaphors of Home...
The title itself is a literary play on the concept of belonging. In the beginning, "Home" is a physical place (the mountains). By the end, "Home" becomes a state of being—the safety of her family and the freedom to exist without apology, even in a smoke-filled city like Detroit
The move to Detroit signifies the end of Cussy's "long journey home". After surviving the brutal Kentucky prison system and working in the urban renewal zones of Louisville, the industrial North offers the family a chance at a "triumphant" new chapter focused on survival and the continuing power of literacy
The novel draws parallels between different types of "prisons." Cussy moves from the literal iron bars of the state penitentiary to the social and economic "prison" of urban renewal in Louisville.
Cussy moves from the isolation of Troublesome Creek through the fire of the legal system and finally to a new beginning in Detroit, resolving the character arc started in the first book. Structured as a page-turner, using high-stakes tension (the threat to Cussy’s pregnancy and the mystery of Jackson’s fate) to drive the plot forward.
The book often highlights the written word through letters, books, and library records, reinforcing the theme that literacy is a form of testimony.
Junia (The Book Mule)
began as Cussy's lifeline, representing Cussy's grit and physical labor of the Packhorse Librarians. The mule became a protective figure for Honey in book two, and in the final installment, Junia remains a symbol of home and resilience, reminding Cussy of her mountain roots even as her life shifts toward the industrial city.
THE BOOK WOMAN SERIES evolves from a story of isolation and wonder in the first book to themes of personal independence in the second, finally reaching a conclusion focused on redemption and systemic change in the third.
An avid long-time fan of the author, having read all her books, I highly recommend this compelling series and her entire backlist of titles.
A special thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for a digital and paperback advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 21, 2026
My rating: 5 Stars
The Book Woman Series Order
~The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (2019):
Introduces Cussy Mary Carter and the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project.
~The Book Woman's Daughter (2022):
Follows Cussy's daughter, Honey Lovett, as she fights for her own freedom and continues her mother's legacy.
~The Mountains We Call Home The Book Woman's Legacy (2026):
Returning to Cussy’s story in the 1950s, dealing with her imprisonment and the healing power of books in unexpected places.
~A related children's picture book, Junia, The Book Mule of Troublesome Creek (2024) was also released to introduce younger readers to the world of the series.
Praise
Brilliant storytelling. Cussy is one of the most dynamic characters in American fiction. Without Kim Michele Richardson’s heartfelt, uplifting storytelling, the world would be a sadder place, indeed. I loved The Mountains We Call Home, which is woven so seamlessly of important themes that it has the potential for changing lives."
― William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author
"No one writes about gritty courageous women like Kim Michele Richardson. The Mountains We Call Home is an unforgettable page-turner that captures the dark beauty of Appalachia and its people of Kentucky, with their stealth intelligence and covert vulnerabilities."
― Jeannette Walls #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle
"In The Mountains We Call Home, Kim Michele Richardson once again displays her seamless blend of research and imagination that we expect in the best of historical fiction, yet as I read deeper I realized that Cussy Lovett’s journey and challenges (first inside a prison, then a large city), as vivid and compelling as they are, are only part of Richardson’s achievement: her latest novel is also a marvelous reminder of how literacy and literature can heal and give hope, even freedom."
― Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author
"Kim Michele Richardson brings the story of trailblazing packhorse librarian, Cussy Mary Carter, full circle in this mesmerizing tale of love, resilience, and hardscrabble determination. In the fight to survive prejudice, cruelty, and injustice, Cussy must draw upon her inner strength, the kindness of others, and the sanctuary that can be found within books. An ode to friendship, truth, and the power of the written word, this is a story readers will treasure long after the last page is turned." ― Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood -
About the Author
A native-born Kentuckian, Kim Michele Richardson is a New York Times, L.A. Times, and USA Today bestselling author who has written six novels, including The Book Woman's Daughter and The Mountains We Call Home, along with a memoir and most recently, two children’s picture books. The works have been published in more than 15 languages. Her novel The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is taught widely in high schools and college classrooms and has been adopted as a Common Read selection by states, cities, and colleges across the country and abroad. Kim Michele lives with her family in Kentucky and is the founder of Shy Rabbit, a writers’ residency, and a literacy initiative Courthouses Reading Across Kentucky & Beyond. WEBSITE
