Chap­ter 7 immers­es read­ers in the dai­ly strug­gles and tri­umphs of rur­al Ken­tucky, high­light­ing how knowl­edge and resilience shape the lives of the peo­ple in Bai­leyville. The nar­ra­tive focus­es on Alice, who con­tin­ues her work with the Pack­horse Library, deliv­er­ing books to fam­i­lies liv­ing in iso­lat­ed moun­tain homes. She rec­og­nizes that lit­er­a­cy is not just about learn­ing to read but about gain­ing the tools need­ed to nav­i­gate a world that is often unfair to those with­out pow­er.

One of Alice’s reg­u­lar stops is the Horner fam­i­ly, where young Mae Horner greets her with excite­ment, eager to share her progress in read­ing. Mae’s pride in mak­ing a peach pie using a recipe from a bor­rowed book sym­bol­izes the library’s impact, prov­ing that access to knowl­edge can enhance even the most basic aspects of dai­ly life. For Alice, moments like these reaf­firm the impor­tance of her work, rein­forc­ing the idea that even small vic­to­ries can lead to greater empow­er­ment.

How­ev­er, not every­one in Bai­leyville sup­ports the Pack­horse Library’s mis­sion, as many believe women should not be encour­aged to seek knowl­edge beyond what is nec­es­sary for house­hold duties. This resis­tance is most evi­dent in the oppo­si­tion from men like Geof­frey Van Cleve, who view the library as a threat to tra­di­tion­al val­ues. Despite the chal­lenges, Alice remains com­mit­ted to her role, know­ing that edu­ca­tion is key to break­ing cycles of pover­ty and oppres­sion in the region.

Dur­ing her trav­els, Alice becomes more aware of the grow­ing ten­sion between landown­ers and coal com­pa­nies, an issue that weighs heav­i­ly on fam­i­lies like the Horners. With cor­po­rate greed lead­ing to forced evic­tions and envi­ron­men­tal destruc­tion, the fight to retain land own­er­ship becomes an ongo­ing bat­tle. Alice real­izes that while books offer com­fort and escape, they can also serve as a tool for resis­tance, pro­vid­ing peo­ple with the knowl­edge need­ed to advo­cate for their rights.

Mean­while, Alice’s per­son­al life becomes increas­ing­ly com­pli­cat­ed as she strug­gles with her place in the Van Cleve house­hold. Her rela­tion­ship with Ben­nett remains strained, and her father-in-law’s con­stant inter­fer­ence makes her feel more like an out­sider than ever. Her desire for inde­pen­dence grows stronger, fueled by her expe­ri­ences in the com­mu­ni­ty and her inter­ac­tions with the librar­i­ans who have found ways to carve out their own paths.

A moment of unex­pect­ed kind­ness comes when Alice has an embar­rass­ing encounter with a skunk and finds her­self in need of help. Fred Guisler, one of the few peo­ple in town who treats her with warmth and respect, steps in to assist her. Their inter­ac­tion is brief but mean­ing­ful, serv­ing as a reminder that not every­one in Bai­leyville shares the rigid, oppres­sive views of the Van Cleve fam­i­ly.

The chap­ter cul­mi­nates with a town gath­er­ing fea­tur­ing Tex Lafayette, a pop­u­lar cow­boy singer, meant to bring peo­ple togeth­er in cel­e­bra­tion. How­ev­er, under­ly­ing ten­sions sur­face as dis­cus­sions about land rights and soci­etal roles expose the deep divides with­in the com­mu­ni­ty. Despite these con­flicts, moments of sol­i­dar­i­ty emerge, with the Pack­horse librar­i­ans stand­ing firm in their belief that access to knowl­edge should not be restrict­ed by gen­der or social class.

By the end of the chap­ter, Alice finds her­self at a turn­ing point, ques­tion­ing whether she can con­tin­ue liv­ing a life dic­tat­ed by oth­ers. Her work with the library has opened her eyes to the strength of the women around her, as well as her own poten­tial to shape her des­tiny. As she watch­es the peo­ple of Bai­leyville fight for their land, their rights, and their futures, she begins to see that true change comes from those who refuse to accept injus­tice with­out a fight.

This chap­ter weaves togeth­er themes of edu­ca­tion, resilience, and per­son­al growth, illus­trat­ing the pow­er of knowl­edge to trans­form lives. Through Alice’s jour­ney, the nov­el con­tin­ues to explore the ten­sion between tra­di­tion and progress, remind­ing read­ers that even in the face of oppo­si­tion, small acts of courage can spark last­ing change.