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?
❥ Heat Level: Mild/Sweet
❥ PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads | Bookbub | Kobo | Christianbook | Google Books
Kim Vogel Sawyer has such incredible talent for bringing stories to life and The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow is yet another novel where her talent shines. Set during the height of the Great Depression, the novel follows four characters that have four very unique personalities and perspectives, a very character-driven approach to the narrative that gives each player such depth. I love that we (the reader) get to experience four different perspectives, receiving narration from Addie, Emmett, Bettina, and Nanny Fay.
Out of all the characters Addie is hands down my favorite. She is the strong heroine that has a heart of gold, and is beautiful inside and out. Her continued perseverance and determination, despite her circumstances, are very motivating, as is her faith and overall outlook on life. Things haven't been easy for Addie in her young life, but she takes everything with such grace. It was truly a breath of fresh air to read such an authentic character, so much so that I put down the book feeling refreshed and motivated to follow Addie’s lead. I want to be Addie when I grow up!
Emmett is a genuinely sweet guy, and I enjoyed watching his relationship with Addie blossom throughout the story. One thing I really admired was that the focus wasn’t just on romance, but on building relationships, and helping each other, as well as the community.
The real treat was getting to see Nanny Fay and Bettina’s perspectives, each woman very unique from the other, giving a different flavor, yet at the same time giving balance to the narrative as a whole. Both Bettina and Nanny Fay are misunderstood, each in their own right, and I honestly don’t know how I would’ve felt about Bettina if I didn’t have her personal perspective to guide my emotions. She is definitely one of those characters that can be hard to love until you find out about her situation, and you switch from annoyance to pity.
The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow is a fascinating look into not only the economic effects of the Great Depression as a whole, but also on the Appalachian Mountain region, and its hard working inhabitants. I love that we are learning more and more about the horseback librarians, and the WPA program. I think this was a genius idea from President Roosevelt that should be remembered.
Though I enjoyed The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow as a whole, I must say that the ending was a bit of a let down for me, even if it was a happy ending, but that is my only complaint in an otherwise flawless novel. You can feel such heart in the author’s writing, this story touching my soul in more ways than one, and I feel so honored that I was able to read it.
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