The Mountains We Call Home Book Review

 

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman's Legacy

By: Kim Michele Richardson

Publish Date: April 21, 2026

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark/Sourcebooks Landmark

General Fiction (Adult)/Historical Fiction/Women's Fiction

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Book Review:

I loved this book and gave it 5 stars. It was great to back in Cussy's world. We find out what happens to her and her small family after the first book. You can read this as a standalone, but you would have no idea what she went through and be a little lost in their story. I would advise you to read the two books before this one.

In this book Cussy and Jackson are in prison because they are married. Cussy is a Blue and so considered colored. She isn't ill or anything like that she just has a genetic defect that not too many people have. There is a shot that she can take to make her "normal", but the side effects make her ill and she can't live a normal life. While in prison Cussy is able to work in the kitchen and befriends a person who is the grandmother of her daughter Honey. Cussy not only cleans the kitchen but keeps the books and has helped greatly with their budget. Eventually she gets the job of prison librarian and makes a big difference in the prison, and she becomes well liked even by the guards. She has even gone over to the men's prison and help over there.

Soon Cussy is loaned out to help a colored library with the literacy program. Just before she goes, she finds out she is pregnant and is hoping she doesn't have return because once she returns, they will abort the baby and sterilize her. 

She has been a great help and again everyone likes her. 

I won't tell what happens when she is helping the library because I want you to read Cussy's story in full.

This is a great series, and Kim does an excellent job with her research. You are rooting for Cussy and her family and you are cussing out the government at the same time.

The Fervent Whites Book Review

 

The Fervent Whites

By: De'Shawn Charles Winslow

Publish Date: June 6, 2026

Publisher: Random House/One World

General Fiction (Adult)

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I would like to thank both NetGalley and Random House/One world for allowing me to read and review this book.

Book Review:

I gave this book 4 stars. I really enjoyed myself while reading it.

This book is set in a small New York town that is now mostly a black neighborhood. One of the residents in the area are returning back home after being in prison for 18 months. People are trying to figure out why they would want to return to the old neighborhood after what happened. There are two residents who are worried because of what they did. They didn't do anything wrong but are scared, nonetheless. What did they do; one testified against them and the other told a secret. In their defense they thought the couple were locked up for life. 

The author does a great job because you get to know all the characters and you feel for them. Even the couple from prison. As the story goes the couple who were released from prison have issues and they let everyone know and they aren't nice.

This is a short book, so a lot happens and it is full of action. What I like about the story is the friendships and the small-town togetherness. 

The book takes place in the year 1982, so during this time is the HIV virus and one of the characters is gay. There is also hatred about the gays and the blacks even in this small town and the towns surrounding it. Just beware when you read it because the n word is used a couple of times.