I heard about this book because of its supposed similarity to Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes, which was published around the same time.
Apparently there were allegations of plagiarism because this book (by a lesser-known author) was released in May of last year, and Giver of Stars, released in November and written by a big-name author, are both based on the "Packhorse Librarian" project in 1930's Kentucky.
I will say that I don't think there was any real plagiarism involved, although there are similarities between the books. Still, the characters are so very different that I don't think this is more than coincidence.
Cussy Mary, the librarian in this story, is a rare Kentucky Blue Person, which apparently is a real genetic condition that cropped up in the hills of Kentucky. These folks had skin that actually appeared blue, due to some blood deficiency they inherited, but were otherwise quite healthy. The problem for them, as you can imagine, is the reactions they encountered from others due to their "oddity."
For Cussy Mary, being a Blue pretty much defines her. The Packhorse Library project gives her a way to help other people see past her color, as well as a way to make a living. This character and her story are completely unlike the English girl Alice in the JoJo Moyes book, who struggles with an unhappy marriage and sees the library job as an escape.
This was a good book, and one I probably wouldn't have heard about if it hadn't been for the controversy. I'm not the only one who read it because of that, either, so I'd say this author came out ahead here.
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