Patricia Beatty (1922–1991)

This is a childhood favorite of mine, one I first read as a library book and was later able to find in paperback. I think it's been at least 20 years since I last read it, but I picked it up again for research reasons. The book continues to be a delight.

The book addresses a little known bit of history--women librarians, roaming the American wilderness to get books to the people. Eight Mules is set in 1916 in the vicinity of Monterey, California. Fayette's widowed mother, a new graduate from the librarian school, gets a job (due to some meddling on Fayette's part) to take books by mule to "desperate ladies" in an isolated coastal mountain town. Fayette and her little brother go along for a wild ride plagued by an endless string of disasters that she attributes to a particular collection of Poe.… (mer)