Packing books, Packing rescue supplies

By Barbara J. Eikmeier

It was a few anxiety-filled days, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, waiting to hear from our daughter, who had just moved to a small mountain community in western North Carolina. Her community was spared the massive flooding and power outages, losing only cell service and internet for a few days.

Once service was restored, we talked nearly every day. She talked about the people who lived in the mountains who were completely cut off due to washed out roads. I’m not from the mountains of North Carolina or the Appalachians, but I know about those remote areas from books I’ve read.

Several years ago, within a short period of time, I read two unrelated books about the Pack Horse Librarians of Appalachia, who delivered books to mountain homes. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by  Kim Michele Richardson, 2019, while fiction, included historical photos from the WPA project. Until reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, I had never heard of the WPA’s Pack Horse Librarians project and after studying the photos and reading every single caption was intrigued enough to research the topic more.

Soon after finishing the book I recommended it to a friend who said she was already reading it. But she wasn’t. She was reading a totally different book, also fiction, also about the Pack Horse Librarians. We swapped books and I read, The Giver of Stars, by JoJo Moyes, 2021.

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The stories of the Pack Horse Librarians have stayed with me these past years, so naturally, when I saw Pack Mules being used to haul supplies to remote locations cut off from civilization by Hurricane Helene’s flood waters, I began to follow their stories. The Mountain Mule Packer Ranch has posted regular social media updates with many pictures showing the mules packing into the mountains, off trail, because the trails were washed away. Initially they packed in food, water, blankets and flashlights. Later they brought fencing materials and feed for livestock. The posts often include the mules’ names and bits about their personalities, stories of how volunteers prepare their loads and manage ground operations, and they describe how people, trapped in their homes for 6-8 days on their own, were just as happy to see the mules as they were to get supplies.

As temporary road repairs are completed and the formerly inaccessible areas reopen to ATVs and other motorized vehicles, the pack mules move on to locations still in need of their services.

Of course the pack mules’ story is one of many recovery operations taking place in areas affected by Hurricane Helene. It resonated with me because of those books I read about the Pack Horse Librarians.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Pack Horse Librarians of Applalachia, libromaniacs has compiled a list of ten books on the topic, including the two mentioned in this post. Here is a link. https://libromaniacs.com/books-about-librarians-on-horseback/

Barbara J. Eikmeier is a quilter, writer, student of quilt history, and lover of small-town America. Raised on a dairy farm in California, she enjoys placing her characters in rural communities.

10 replies
  1. Gay Yellen
    Gay Yellen says:

    I read “The Bookwoman” for a bookclub several years ago and loved it. So glad to see stories of how women have saved humanity, whether through major scientific breakthroughs or small community efforts. Glad your daughter was safe, Barbara.

  2. Donnell Ann Bell
    Donnell Ann Bell says:

    I’ve read the “Bookwoman” also. My heart goes out to the people who have lost so much in these hurricanes. I’m glad your daughter is okay, Barb. One woman seven-and-half months pregnant was trapped in her North Carolina home, while her husband a news broadcaster was covering the hurricane in Georgia. Never expected it to hit Asheville. Her parents came to the rescue and she will deliver elsewhere. Thank you for packing rescue supplies and reminding us of the importance of books — especially during times like these!

    • Barb Eikmeier
      Barb Eikmeier says:

      Donnell, oh gosh! I hope that young pregnant woman is ok. It’s really been something to follow the rescue operation in all affected areas.

  3. Saralyn
    Saralyn says:

    Thanks for ths interesting post. Hurricanes and other natural disasters, although traumatic and tragic, bring humanity and animals together in recovery against a common enemy. And books, chroniclers of all the world’s joys and sorrows, make everything better.

    • Barb Eikmeier
      Barb Eikmeier says:

      Saralyn,
      I love that … bringing humanity and animals together! And yes! Books do have a way of making things better.

  4. Lois Winston
    Lois Winston says:

    Barbara, I’m glad to hear your daughter is okay, but my heart goes out to those who aren’t. I’ve been to Nashville and recognized some of the areas hardest hit. The worst part is that unlike Florida, few, if any, of the residents in Western NC have flood insurance because who would have ever expected such a freak disaster to hit?

    I read the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and the sequel, The Book Woman’s Daughter, and also thought of those books when I saw the news about the pack mules. Like you, I’d never heard of the pack mule librarians. I also had no idea about the blue people. Those two books were real eye-openers.

    • Barb Eikmeier
      Barb Eikmeier says:

      Lois, I too learned about the blue people from the Troublesome creek book. I haven’t read the sequel yet!

    • Barb Eikmeier
      Barb Eikmeier says:

      Thanks Debra. I hope, if you read about the pack horse librarians you’ll enjoy the journey as much as I have!

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