I absolutely loved the first half of this book. I loved, loved the setting of Kentucky and the idea of the traveling librarians riding horseback around the rural mountains, delivering books to people who wanted them and helping to increase literacy throughout the state. I loved the bond the female librarians developed with each other, even though they all started from really different places and lives. I really felt for Alice, who had moved to America thinking she was going to an exciting new life and ending up in this tiny little rural hamlet with a husband who wasn't what she thought he was. It really started off so well and I was completely engrossed in the audiobook. But I got really annoyed by the end with how over-the-top dramatic some of the scenes and relationships were, and how all of the main (good) characters seemed like they were plucked out of 2020 and plopped down in the middle of this 1930s storyline. They were all extremely feminist and anti-racist and environmentalist and anti-corporation, but as they kept emphasizing how much they were of each of those things, I could not believe that there would happen to just be so many men and women in this tiny rural Kentucky town who were appalled by racism! Appalled by men hitting women! Appalled by people judging a woman who didn't want to marry her long-time lover even though she was pregnant! Come on. Let's be real here. I felt like I was rolling my eyes so hard at the ending wrapping everything up so neatly with a bow, and it felt like a shame since I really loved it for much of the book. Also, I never quite believed the romance.
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