The Book Woman's Daughter

Back in Troublesome, Doc invites Honey to stay the night, but she has to work in the morning. She uses his phone to call Mr. Morgan and tells him she is interested in emancipation, citing the newspaper article about Byrne McDaniel. He is familiar with the case and says he’ll research it further. Being a good employee will help her case, he advises. After the phone call, Honey rides back to the cabin.

On her book route the next day, she goes to the school and meets with the principal. Honey wishes she could have attended the school, gazing enviously at the students. Another stop on her route is Emma McCain. Emma is a healer, and gives Honey a lodestone from a white deer for protection. Honey thinks about local customs that were written on the Pack Horse Library scrapbooks, like putting a four-leaf clover in undergarments to get a rich husband, and pepper under the nose of someone giving birth to speed up the delivery. Honey wears braided locks from her deceased parents. Emma laments the loss of many folk traditions. They talk about Wrenna and her pet rooster; Wrenna came to live with Emma after her parents died. Honey gives Wrenna books, as well as a piece of the candy bar Doc bought her on the way to the prison.

Next, Honey goes to the Moores’ cabin, hoping to see Francis. He isn’t home, but Mrs. Moore gives Honey a picture: a photo of her father and Honey’s grandfather outside of the mine. Honey thinks about the light from his miner’s helmet that Mama kept and lit once a year in remembrance. Mrs. Moore shows Honey pictures of the Pack Horse librarians among her family and friends. Mrs. Moore wants to add a picture of Bonnie, but doesn’t like that she has to work in the mines.

It is the first day of April, a Wednesday, and Honey has not heard from Mr. Morgan. She goes to drop off books to Pearl in the fire watchtower. Pearl says things have been quiet and asks about Honey’s family. After Honey tells her about the prison visit, she asks to call her Papa on Pearl’s newly repaired phone line. Pearl agrees, and Honey gives the Kentucky State Reformatory Administration Building the phone number, so that her Papa can call on Saturday. Pearl talks about how her father served in World War II, was severely injured, and died after he returned home. The young women hug and comfort one another.

On Thursday, Honey rides to the Tobacco Top community, passing by Retta’s cabin on the way. Alonzo has Retta’s things in his wagon, and tells Honey he is going to sell them. Honey buys Retta’s porch chair and tells him to deliver it to Bonnie. At the drop point, Honey meets Tom, Mr. Taft’s son, who gives her blackberry preserves. They talk about her Mama and Honey thinks about books uniting people.

Honey rides past the Gillises’ home, looking for Guyla Belle’s signal bottle. Not seeing it on the well, which Gillis has covered over, Honey thinks it is not wise to approach. The door opens slightly and Gillis’s sister tells Honey that Guyla Belle has left, then slams the door shut. Honey finds a broken bottle and the library books she’d given to Guyla Belle, which have been ripped up. She hopes Guyla Belle is safe.

Next, Honey stops by Bonnie’s house. Alonzo delivered the porch chair, a glider, and Bonnie is enjoying it. Honey does not tell her she is the gift-giver. Instead, they talk about how the glider will help Bonnie rock her son to sleep. They also talk about books, like Gunnar’s Daughter. After, Honey goes looking for Gillis outside the Company store, but doesn’t see him.

She visits Doc’s house and gives Millie two books. Doc tells Honey that the governor is unwilling to grant Mama a pardon. However, he did visit her and have some of her privileges restored. Doc promises to continue to pressure the governor, and says Honey’s mother would be proud of her work as a Book Woman.

Honey heads to the Company store and tries to call Mama. She is unable to reach her, and the phone eats some of her nickels. Francis comes into the phone booth to refund the nickels, repeats his request for a date, and kisses her. Honey enjoys the kiss and thinks about her conversation with Bonnie in Chapter 20: “[A] girl should marry a man whose last kiss can stay on her lips forever. […] That’s what I did, sweet pea” (144).

On Saturday, Honey goes to visit Pearl at the watchtower. They have dinner as they wait for Honey’s Papa to call. Pearl’s mother calls, but Pearl quickly gets her off the line. Just as Honey is about to give up and leave, Papa calls from prison. He coughs a lot while they talk, and doesn’t know that Retta has died. Honey doesn’t tell him, and asks if she is allowed to date Francis. He says she should ask Retta, then tells her to write letters instead of visiting in person because there is an outbreak inside. A prison guard makes Papa end his call before Honey can learn if the outbreak is polio or not. Papa tells her he loves her and hangs up.

On Monday, Mr. Morgan—guided by Devil John—visits Honey. He looks at the reading materials she is preparing for work, and they talk about her job. Mr. Morgan says his colleagues were impressed with her knowledge of the emancipation case and that he would like to file an application for her emancipation. He expresses a concern over how children are legally considered “the invisible commodity of the father” (224). However, he believes he can get a letter from Honey’s Papa in support of her application. Honey tells Mr. Morgan about her mother’s condition, and he is angry, promising to look into it. She also informs him about the potential polio outbreak at the men’s prison, and he promises to talk to Papa’s lawyer. They discuss discriminatory laws in general.

Honey visits the library outpost where Mr. Taft has left cookies for Junia, poetry books for Honey, and more books for her patrons. Honey reads some poetry before finding an envelope with her first paycheck, then runs outside, ecstatic. She promises to bake more cookies for Junia and buy her an apple. Honey heads into town to cash the check.

Outside the Company store, she sees Bonnie feeding Wrenna’s rooster. Gillis steals one of its feathers and taunts Bonnie. When she sees Honey, Bonnie talks to her about books; Honey notices she has fresh bruises. Inside the store, Honey shops and flirts with Francis. He cashes her check, and she asks about where to buy a headstone for Retta’s grave. Francis gives her the address for Old Man Geary.

Outside the store, Gillis blocks Honey and lights his lighter in her face. Honey wonders what really happened to Guyla Belle. Bonnie intervenes, knocking down Gillis’s hand and pulling Honey away from him.

Honey buys a headstone with an angel for Retta from Mr. Geary. They discuss a monthly payment plan for getting Honey’s biological parents a headstone in the future. Honey is left with just a few cents after the purchase.

She visits Pearl in the watchtower, telling her about filing for emancipation and kissing Francis. When Honey brings up their pajama party, Pearl says she has a date that day: Gillis asked her out. Honey tells her about Gillis harassing Wrenna, hurting Bonnie, and punching Francis. She explains her suspicions regarding Guyla Belle and learns that Gillis told Pearl that Guyla Belle filed for divorce and left. Honey also relays the conversation between Gillis and his mother about stealing Pearl’s job. Pearl throws out the flowers Gillis brought her and relays her grandmother’s warnings about abusive men.

On April 11, Honey goes to the fire watchtower for Pearl’s pajama party. Pearl is not there when she arrives, and Honey waits for an hour in the rain. When Pearl arrives, she gets Honey out of her wet clothes, joking about how Honey wore her pajamas under her riding shirt and pants. Honey takes offense, and they argue until Pearl starts crying. Pearl admits she was late because Gillis got upset when she told him she would not date him. He broke the eggs she was buying, grabbed her arm, and insulted her until Francis and Eddie intervened. Pearl also admits she stopped by the Gillis cabin and was concerned about his son.

The young women forgive each other for the disagreement and start drinking whiskey Pearl got from a friend of Francis’s. Pearl plays some records, and they talk about Carson’s marriage proposal and the horrible conditions at the House of Reform. A little tipsy, Pearl tells Honey about her boyfriend who died at a party in a barn fire. His death prompted her to get her first fire lookout job. They eat, and Pearl does Honey’s makeup and pierces Honey’s ears. Junia makes a noise below, but Pearl forbids Honey to wander around in the forest after dark while drunk. The young women fall asleep.

Pearl’s screaming wakes up Honey: there is a fire below the tower. They are sure Gillis and Robbie started it, and that they locked the trapdoor to the tower from the outside. As smoke fills the cab, Pearl hacks at the trapdoor with her ax. Honey radios R.C., Pearl’s Forestry boss, who says he is on the way. Pearl breaks through the door and uses her fire extinguisher to put out the fire.

They find Gillis’s hat, muddy footprints, and rinds that show Junia and Pie were given apples to keep them calm. Pearl compares this to the fire that killed her boyfriend, and Honey feels guilty for drinking. Pearl references a kind of Kentucky justice outside the law, where people take care of their own. Honey is eager to enact this kind of justice, not only for Pearl, but also for Guyla Belle.