This book was an unexpected gem for me. The protagonist Cussy is a member of the Blue People of Kentucky. This was a real group of people with a rare genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinged skin.

The story begins with Cussy getting a job as part of the Pack Horse Library Project – a real initiative of the 1930s and 1940s to deliver books to the remote areas of the Appalachian mountains – which sees her and her mule traipsing across some perilous terrain to deliver books to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them.

As a lover of reading and libraries, this was always going to appeal to me. The fact that it wove in an investigation of sexism, racism and classism, of the ethics and benefits of scientific experimentation and investigation, took it to a new level for me. I loved the small kindness between many of the characters in a tough and difficult environment, Cussy’s resilience, and the author’s treatment of violence (neither glorifying it, nor glossing over it).

This was the kind of book that I wouldn’t have minded going on for another 300 pages. I so enjoyed travelling through the mountains with Cussy and wanted to spend a lot more time adventuring through the world with her.