Tansy Calhoun is a packhorse librarian in the eastern Kentucky mountains. During the Great Depression, the U. S. government instituted programs to help people deal with the economic downturn. Packhorse librarians were paid to carry books to people in remote areas. This program didn’t just help the librarians support their families. It also contributed to the education of their “customers.”
As Tansy made her rounds, she got involved in the lives of the people she served. She knew her books and was able to match books and readers well. She had plenty of family, but her father had left home to look for work, and they had not heard from him for months.
Mountain folks were in the habit of taking in people who were down on their luck. It was the Christian thing to do, after all. One of Tansy's customers, Perdita (Perdie) Sweet, a crusty old soul, allowed Cora Lee Embry to live with her after Cora Lee’s father kicked her out of his home. She was pregnant, and her boyfriend deserted her. Then Perdie’s house burned, and Tansy’s family welcomed Perdie and Cora Lee into their home.
In Along a Storied Trail, there’s danger (house fire, thunderstorm, flash flood), romance, and plenty of hill-country wisdom and humor. Tansy has plenty of love interest in Caleb, whom she’s known all her life. But there’s also Damien Felding, a government-sponsored writer who came to the area to write about possible tourist destinations in the mountains and folk stories of the area. Tansy’s younger brother is interested in helping Cora Lee with her dilemma. And Perdie, in her youth, had been interested in Hiram (who married someone else but was now widowed). Hiram is still lives nearby, and there’s love in the air.
The author uses a lot of country sayings in her description and dialog. An example is: “Caleb hadn’t planned to ride over to Tansy’s house until Sunday, but he was too eager to have her in front of his eyes again to wait.” I felt like I was right there with the characters as they dealt with their challenges. This is a great story in which you learn how tough it was for people during the Depression as well as how the government programs affected them.
Learn more about the book and read a sample here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book compliments of the author and Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Photo by Emily Akin
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