The Mountains We Call Home

The Book Woman's Legacy

By: Kim Michele Richardson

ISBN: 978-1464239342

Publisher: Souorcebooks Landmark Publication Date: 04/21/2026

Format: Other

My Rating: TBR

APR 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS

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.

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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