The Mountains We Call Home

Kim Michele Richardson

Paperback | 384 pages | Publication Date: April 21, 2026

From the author of New York Times bestsellers The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and The Book Woman's Daughter comes a delightful return to the librarians and blue people of Kentucky, in a spirited, book-infused, tale of Appalachia and its people, as told by the original Book Woman, Cussy Lovett. 

In this standalone and companion novel to the The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series, our heroine for the ages, legendary book woman Cussy Lovett, returns home. A powerful testament of strength, survival and the magic of the printed word wrapped into a vivid portrait of Kentucky life, examining incarceration and criminalization, exploring the effects on the poor and powerless, the societal consequences of fractured family bonds along with the nostalgic glimpses of a bustling multifaceted Louisville, and heartwarming portraits of reading efforts in every facet of life. 

Meticulously researched, richly detailed with a new cast of absorbing and complex characters, this beautifully rendered, authentic Kentucky tale is gritty and heartbreaking and infused with hope, spirit, and courage known only to those with no way out.