06/26/2024
Astride their trusty steeds, this band of determined women ventured into the Appalachian countryside, their saddlebags heavy with stories and dreams! These pack horse librarians, delivering books in rural Kentucky in 1938, were part of a remarkable initiative born from the hardships of the Great Depression. The Pack Horse Library Project, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) program, employed these intrepid "book women" or "book ladies" to bring literature and learning to the most remote parts of Appalachia. Librarians often rode 100-120 miles per week on rocky, muddy trails that were impassable by car. They endured harsh weather, from scorching summers to frigid winters, to reach their eager patrons.
To share their inspiring stories with kids, we recommend the newly released "Junia, The Book Mule of Troublesome Creek" (https://amzn.to/3Wr7oZ7) and "The Horseback Librarians" (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-horseback-librarians), both for ages 4 to 8, and "Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky" for ages 8 and up (https://amzn.to/3N8WAtf)
For adult readers, there are also several excellent historical fiction novels about these determined librarians: "The Giver of Stars" (https://amzn.to/4a0Ym9A), "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek" (https://amzn.to/47ZbdHz), and its sequel "The Book Woman's Daughter" (https://amzn.to/3RqH6Cn)
