“Ain’t the hurt. It’s that in that instant you realize the truth of what it is to be a woman. That it doesn’t matter how smart you are, how much better at arguing, how much better than them period. It’s when you realize they can always shut you up with a fist. Just like that.”

The history of a little southern mining town in the 40’s, the darling characters, the little surprises, the liberation and magic of books, the unity and lasting impact of Eleanor Roosevelt’s traveling library in the holler, the romance, motherhood and birth, the exploration of women’s societal issues, nature, the idiocy of race and class, the damage of power and oppression, the dehumanization of the other, friendship, and on and on. A little bit of all my favorite things. I’m a library clerk and finding books for fascinatingly ordinary people is one of my favorite things – this book gave me that feeling again and again as the female librarians delivered books and changed lives.

The dragging out of Margery’s trial and jail time was too much unnecessary drama for me, but it ended beautifully so that made up for the cruel abuse of my emotions.