The Mountains We Call Home
By Kim Michele Richardson
Cussy and Jackson Lovett violated Kentucky miscegenation laws in 1953. Jackson is white and Cussy is a Blue Fugate (commonly known as Blue People of Kentucky) due to a rare genetic blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. They are sentenced to prison and taken away from Honey, their 16-year-old daughter. Now, there is only one thing that brings joy to Cussy’s life: books. She becomes the prison librarian and teaches illiterate prisoners how to read and write. Besides desperately missing Jackson and Honey, Cussy knows she is making a difference for these women who have lost all hope. Cussy’s story shows how women, so often underpaid and underestimated, can help build and strengthen their communities when given the chance. As a packhorse librarian, she didn’t just deliver books to remote regions. Cussy provided education and dignity, using literacy as a tool that helped families navigate poverty and systems designed to keep them small. Cussy’s love of reading demonstrates how everyday tasks — teaching, caregiving and community work — can be quietly revolutionary. This wonderful author returns to the Book Woman series one last time, completing a trilogy that celebrates the life-changing power of reading.
Barriers to Entry
By Ariel Lawhorn
A determined socialite, Frances Glessner Lee was inspired by a love of true crime. Women in the 1920s were not permitted to be detectives, so Frances “volunteered,” and as it turned out, she was very good. So clever, in fact, that Frances created her own unique way to solve murders. At 50 years old, Frances started building meticulously detailed dioramas of grisly crime scenes to assist investigators. These “doll houses,” called the Nutshell Series, took months and cost thousands of dollars as Frances painstakingly created every single item and blood tracing at the scene of the crime by hand. What most people would consider a hobby wound up changing the world of forensics. Frances founded and funded the Department of Legal Medicine at Harvard University. Her unusual teaching methods helped detectives and doctors as they trained for a variety of specialities. This short story by Ariel Lawhorn is fascinating and free on Amazon Prime. Don’t forget to take a look at the “Three Room Dwelling” while reading the story.
A Founding Mother
By Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie
In October 1764, Abigail Smith married country lawyer John Adams. Abigail descended from a well-known political family. They built a life on a small farm in Quincy, where Abigail gave birth to six children, four of whom survived past childhood. The couple struggled through years of separation when John was sent to Philadelphia to serve in the Continental Congress and later as a diplomat to Europe. John Adams’ belief and loyalty to the Revolution were unwavering in his work toward a new democracy. Abigail found herself in the center of it all. Close allies with Washington, Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, John Adams was a major figure in the founding of our nation, with Abigail as his trusted confidant. Abigail strongly opposed slavery and advocated endlessly for women’s rights. Like the excellent HBO series “John Adams” (2008), this novel brings to life the fascinating details of their marriage and unyielding dedication to our nation. Abigail left us a remarkable record: more than 1,100 letters that capture the social and political issues of the time. Abigail Adams was a founding mother in every sense of the word. Releases May 5, 2026.
WorthWatching: “The Gray House” is a Civil War drama about a group of women in Richmond, Virginia who are secretly working as spies while living in the heart of the Confederacy. Inspired by real history and centered on the Van Lew family, the miniseries stars the fabulous Mary-Louise Parker as Eliza. It is now streaming on Prime Video.
