Overall, what do you think of The Book Woman's Daughter? (no spoilers in this thread please)

Overall, what do you think of The Book Woman's Daughter? (no spoilers in this thread please)

I would rate this book a 4.5 and am looking forward to discussing it with book clubs, as it is rich with local history and strong women characters, much like its predecessor.

Wow! This is a book that encourages you to look at your own circumstances with a different lens. While it was very inspiring to watch Honey grow in her confidence, it was sad to see the culture that existed in this area, even well into the second half of last century - if not in some ways, still today. The story is a definite page turner and a good read. I would give it 4.5 stars.

One of the things that I consider when I give a rating to a book of historical fiction is whether or not I learned some new historical facts in the book. I cannot honestly say I learned any new facts from reading this book - because in my opinion the actual "facts" in this book were a repeat of the facts already presented so well in the initial "The Book Woman...", with the exception of Honey's battle to win her freedom by winning the judge's approval of her request to be emancipated.

The other factor which I think made the book memorable was the physical courage of the women of Appalachia. When I first entered the workforce in a civil service job back in 1956, I was very frankly told by the man who processed my paperwork that I would have to work twice as hard as any man to succeed in my job. I found that he was speaking honestly - because I faced prejudice because I was female; however, the courage it took for me to advance was in no way comparable to the physical courage these females faced.

I loved the 1st book, Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, so I was excited to receive the ARC of The Book Woman's Daughter. I rate both of them a solid 5 stars. I recommended the 1st one to my book club and it was our favorite book that year. When I told them about the sequel, they are eager to read it also. The women in the book are brave in facing the hardships in their lives. I like historical fiction and felt I learned a lot about the people's lives during that time. I enjoyed the relationships that Honey develops and her drive for Emancipation. The varied use of plants was an interesting part of the book. I found myself looking up information on Leather breeches, Ramps and eyebright. I was surprised at information I found about the Kentucky House of Reform.

I don’t think it’s great literature and there were some characters that I felt were like stereotypes. Having said that, for some reason I loved this book. It grabbed my attention and made me invested in the people and their stories. It puzzled me that this simple book made me feel like I did when I first discovered the joy of reading.

A continuation of Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek. History of the area interesting and new to me. Strong women shine in the story. Human cruelty to each other is alive and well and brought to the fore front. But neighbor helping neighbor is also a theme. Overall enjoyed the book but not as much as the first in the series.

Overall I thought the book exhausting. Even understanding the blue discrimination and male dominance, it was difficult to believe that all these catastrophes could happen to one person--even a 16 year old as mature as Honey was supposed to be. There were too many incidents packed into too little time.
I also found the story based on dialog (environmental descriptions aside) and had trouble envisioning Honey.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Book Woman's Daughter--quite as much as I did The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. There were stereotypes depicted in some of the characters, but they are realistic for the time and the place. I highly recommend the book.

I have a personal rating system I call the 4Es. Does the book engage my interest, educate and/or enlighten me, entertain me, and reach me emotionally? Very few books hit all four components. The Book Woman's Daughter did in spades. The characters were believable and well developed. The storyline was strong and well thought out. The descriptions of the geography, climate, and culture were perfect. As a reader, I felt I was there.

My maternal great grandparents came to Kansas from Hawkins County and Greene County, Tennessee in 1878. Greene County and Hawkins County are in Appalachia bordering Virginia and North Carolina respectively. My mother, aunt, and grandmother (Granny) brought my sister, my cousins, and me up on stories of our ancestors before, during, and after the Civil War and before and after their move to Kansas. Ms Richardson's writing resonated with me. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or learning about other parts of the USA.

Historical fiction and historical nonfiction are my favorite genres, so this book was right in the running. I like a historical book that I can learn something from, yet not be inundated with facts alone. I think there was enough in this book to say I enjoyed it - however, there were times I wished that it had moved a little quicker. I did enjoy the original book 'Troublesome Creek' better because it had more historical content to it, whereas this book was more family driven.

In general, I enjoyed the book. Somrtimes sequels leave readers disappointed, but, for the most part, this didn't. There were a few instances that seemed a bit contrived. However, I still enjoyed the book quite a bit.