This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith

Rating: 5+ of 5 stars

Pages: 320 pages
Published: February 2021

I'll say it again: Welcome to 2021! Now, this is how to start the year reading. This Close to Okay is my first read by author Leesa Cross-Smith, and I think I am in love. In this deeply-moving novel, she shares a story about two strangers who meet at a pivotal time in both their lives. Both Tallie and Emmett are struggling with some demons and attempting to deal with them mentally and physically. A chance meeting leads to them spending a three-day weekend together and learning about each other and more about themselves. 

This is one of those books that you have to enjoy the journey. At only 320 pages, the book may seem short, but there's so much to unpack, it is best to consume it slowly and let it sit with you a while. I found Cross-Smith's writing to be thoughtful, thorough and descriptive. Some passages were so vivid I could truly picture the scenes and the characters as she proffered them. To me, this is a wonderful talent. And I must say she wrote in such a descriptive way, not to sell movie rights (although I'd love to see it on screen), but rather to truly ignite a reader's imagination. 

Recommendation: This book was wonderful. You want to learn how it all ends, but the prose is too beautiful to rush. I savored this book like a rich piece of cheesecake. Its purchase pushed me into BFF status with BOTM, and it was a good buy. I highly recommend it - so much so that I plan to re-visit it, something I rarely do with books but often with cheesecake! 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Pages: 322 pages
Published: May 2019

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson was a selection by the Fort Worth Library's Stay at Home Book Club. With its inception on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has grown to several hundred members who read a book about every two weeks. Because of the controversy between this book and The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, I had this one on my TBR list for some time. I was very thankful to read it with such a interactive reading group. 

The historical fiction story follows Cussy who is a packhorse librarian and also one of the last of the Kentucky blue people. While the book is fiction, the genetic trait that causes a disease known as methemoglobinemia is real, as are the descendants of the Fugate family who were afflicted with it. 

Because of her condition, Cussy and her father live a relatively reclusive lifestyle in the Kentucky hill country. Cussy secures the packhorse librarian position, which was funded by the government, because she was a single woman with no husband. She is very proud of her job, but her father, who is beginning to age due to his rigorous work in the coal mine, wants to get Cussy married off so he knows she will be taken care of upon his death. Cussy, wanting her independence, vehemently disagrees. The main conflict in the story is between Cussy and her father but more so between Cussy and the ignorant people of the community who either shun her completely because of her physical condition or attempt to "fix her" at all costs. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found Cussy as a "blue person" to suffer many of the challenges that Black people (or colored people, as they were then called) also endured. Additionally, the part of the book about marrying one's daughter off (when all she really wanted was to read and learn) reminded me of The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare that I read earlier this year. It's amazing how we as a society can look so different on the outside but share some of the very same internal and emotional experiences. I wish the author would have connected more of that theme in the book, hence the slight deduction in rating. 

Recommendation: Overall, I found this book engaging, entertaining, and informational. I think I devoured it in about one week's time. I highly recommend it as an anytime read! Support your local library!

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Read More