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1. The Kentucky Pack Horse
program was implemented in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration
(WPA) to create women’s work programs and to assist economic recovery
and build literacy. Looking at the novel, how did the program affect the
people in this remote area? Do you think library programs are still a
vital part of our society today?
2. How has a librarian or book lover impacted your life? Have you ever
connected with a book or author in a meaningful way? Explain.
3. Missionaries, government, social workers, and various religious
groups have always visited eastern Kentucky to reform, modernize, and
mold hill folk to their acceptable standards. Do you think Cussy faced
this kind of prejudice from the outside world? Is there any prejudice or
stigma associated with the people of Appalachia today?
4. How do you think Cussy’s father feels after he marries her off to an
abusive man? Why do you think he agrees to Charlie Frazier’s proposal in
the first place? What do you imagine life was like for an unwed woman at
that time?
5. Imagine you are making a community scrapbook like the ones Cussy
distributes to the people of Troublesome. What would you include? Do you
think these materials were helpful to Cussy’s library patrons?
6. When Cussy receives the cure for her blueness from Doc, she realizes
there’s a price to pay for her white skin, and the side effects soon
become too much to handle. If you were in Cussy’s shoes, would you
sacrifice your health for a chance at "normalcy"? If there weren’t any
side effects, do you think Cussy would have continued to take the
medication? Would you?
7. How do you think Cussy feels when she is ostracized at the
Independence Day celebration, despite her change of skin color? Can you
relate to her feelings of isolation? Do you think these kinds of racial
prejudices are still prevalent today?
8. Cussy has to deal with the loss of many loved ones in a very short
amount of time. How do you think she handles her grief? Which loss was
the most difficult for you to read?
9. What do you think life was like for the people of Troublesome? What
are some of the highlights of living in such a remote place? What are
some of the challenges the people on Cussy’s library route face?
10. Back then, entering into a prohibited or interracial marriage in
Kentucky was a misdemeanor that could result in incarceration, and we
see these racial tensions attempt to sever Cussy and Jackson’s
relationship. Discuss antimiscegenation laws and marriage laws. Do you
think this kind of prejudice still exists toward interracial couples?
11. What do you think happens to Cussy, Jackson, Honey, and the other
inhabitants of Troublesome after the story ends? Imagine you were Cussy.
How would you feel leaving Troublesome for good?
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