The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

A miner with an illness related to his work, Pa is a loving father who tries to give Cussy Mary, his only child, all the advantages that he can. For example, he has purchased a real mattress for her, despite his low wages and his need to buy medicine for himself. Driven by this love, he desires to see her married, believing marriage is the most respectable position for a woman to be in. This desire to find Cussy Mary a husband is tied to a promise he made to her mother before she died.

Over the course of the novel, Pa increasingly accepts Cussy Mary for herself while still pressing her to become respectable by getting married. However, in the end, he makes Jackson Lovett ask for her hand seven times to prove that he truly loves her, showing that he has grown. He no longer believes that any marriage is a form of protection; by ensuring that she is only married to a man who will protect and treasure her, he has done his best to ensure her safe future.

Pa’s death near the end of the novel marks the end of an era. Cussy Mary can no longer rely on him and must make her own way in the world. Pa has already discussed marriage with Jackson, though, and has even deputized Mr. Moore, one of his mining friends, to stand up in his place at the wedding. This action shows his belief in the match, as well as his hopes for the future: He believes that Jackson and Cussy Mary will, in the end, get married.

Though originally from the area, Jackson Lovett spent several years in the West before returning to his home state. As he tells Cussy Mary, he was in part motivated to leave because of the deaths of his mother and twin brothers when he was younger. Now the owner of a substantial amount of land, with plans to cultivate it and sell lumber, Lovett is considered an eligible bachelor by many women in the community.

Like Cussy Mary, Lovett is an avid reader. The two bond over their shared taste in books, including Brave New World and the writings of Pearl S. Buck. In fact, Cussy Mary considers their relationship purely professional and does not realize when Lovett begins courting her. Her response to this new person in her community is mirrored by Junia’s response to him: Though the mule is initially standoffish and even sharp, she eventually warms to him.

Lovett accepts Cussy Mary in a way few people in her community do. He does not understand why she continues to take the medicine if it makes her sick, even though it turns her skin white. Like Cussy Mary, Lovett has an independent streak, shown by his pursuit of her despite the opinions of the community. He also shows himself to be protective, putting down roots by marrying Cussy Mary and physically fighting for their marriage when challenged by the sheriff.

The first antagonist Richardson introduces, Charlie Frazier is the only man who initially wants to marry Cussy Marry. His perusal of the documents when he meets her shows that his primary motivation in marrying her is her dowry. Richardson introduces him as an unpleasant man: “Several times he shifted, smacked his limp hat against stained britches, each move sparking a new plume of rancid odor” (12).

This unpleasantness takes on new depths as Cussy Mary accompanies him home. There, he beats and rapes her. In the process, he has a heart attack and dies, leaving her a widow with some property, including the mule Junia. Nevertheless, Cussy Mary’s early experience with Frazier only solidifies her desire for independence and her belief in the work that she does.

After the death of Charlie Frazier, his relation, the preacher Vester Frazier, becomes the book’s second antagonist. Mentioned early in the book in relationship to Charlie, Vester appears later as a malicious figure who is hunting Cussy Mary to “save” her from her “sins,” which he believes are manifest in the color of her skin.

Though Vester seeks out people with differences—a midget, a girl who has seizures, triplets—he seems both attracted to and repulsed by them, as when he assaults Cussy Mary. He tries to “cure” these people by baptizing them in Troublesome Creek. However, this practice has only ever hurt them, leading to comas, drowning, and broken bones.

Although as a preacher, Vester is an authority figure in the community, when he dies, nobody morns his loss, showing that he was not a valued community member. However, the loss still imperils Cussy Mary and her father: He was a White man, and they are Blues. If they were found to be implicated in his death—however innocent they are—it would be dangerous for them.

Richer than many people in the community, Doc is the village doctor. His wealth is apparent in his possessions (such as his car), the fact that he has servants, and his ability to give Cussy Mary food and gifts. However, despite his relative wealth, Doc is not a generous man: He won’t visit Angeline, even though she has sent him seeds, because she lives too far away. Though he shows Cussy Mary some kindnesses, like giving her hair ribbons, these all serve a greater purpose: getting her to participate in his research.

In addition to serving as the community physician, Doc also conducts research in Lexington. Having witnessed Vester Frazier’s death, he blackmails Pa and Cussy Mary into letting him experiment on her. This act shows a bloodthirsty aspect of his nature that Cussy Mary also remembers seeing after her mother’s death, when he asked for samples from her corpse to test. Although Doc is an authority figure in the town and occasionally shows kindnesses to those around him (arguing on behalf of Cussy Mary’s marriage to Jackson Lovett, for example), he nevertheless exposes Cussy Mary to violence at the hospital and blackmail at home, to further his own research.

Angeline is 16, while her husband, Willie, is 30. The fact that Cussy Mary does not discuss this age difference at length implies that it is likely not unusual in the area. Though they are both uneducated and live together in a remote location, Angeline and Willie serve as foils for each other in several ways. Angeline has a great desire to learn and has Cussy Mary teach her how to read and make letters in the dirt. Capable with a shotgun, Angeline shoots a rattlesnake threatening Cussy Mary, protecting her on the road. She has no issue with the color of Cussy Mary’s skin, often touching her and kissing her hand. Eventually, she shows her great faith in Cussy Mary by leaving her baby, Honey, in her care on her deathbed.

On the other hand, Willie is a thief and has deep-rooted prejudices against Blue people. It is later revealed that he has the same gene in his own bloodline. He barely tolerates having Cussy Mary in the house, even when she is bringing him medicine or reading to him. The part of himself that is prejudiced against the Blues comes back to harm him, as he hangs himself when seeing that his child was born with Blue skin. This common gene leads Cussy Mary to wonder if they were related.

Though Cussy Mary encounters extreme prejudice from some town members, she eventually forms deep bonds with those on her route: Timmy, Henry, Winnie Parker, R.C. Cole, Martha Hannah, Devil John, Loretta Adams, and others. In this way, she forms her own community of readers.

Some of the characters in this group appreciate Cussy Mary from the beginning. Several, like Timmy and Martha Hannah, have family members who do not approve of their reading at first and do not want reading materials in the house. Others still, like Loretta, appreciate Cussy Mary more for the help she can give them than for the books that she brings.

By proving herself as worthy of their trust, returning week after week and bringing food and assistance, Cussy Mary eventually wins over even the most stubborn patrons. This is apparent in her “conversion” of Devil John; when she shows him how reading can be practical, as well as a luxury, he eventually allows his family to do it and later comes to town to celebrate her wedding.