#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | A REESE WITHERSPOON X HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK“A great narrative about personal strength and really captures how books bring communities together.” —Reese WitherspoonFrom the author of The Last Letter from Your Lover, now a major motion picture on Netflix, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of … their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond in Depression-era America
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.
The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.
What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity, and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.
Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic–a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.more
Absolutely love Jojo and her books! If you’ve only read the “Me Before You” books, you’ll be surprised by the setting and scope of this story – Depression-era Kentucky, as seen through five extraordinary women. A must read!
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes won the Book Bucket List contest on my blog for September 2020. Over 25% of voters chose this book as the one I must read, and I’m glad they did. I’ve previously read Moyes’ three novels in the Me Before You series, and I wasn’t sure how anything else could compare. Given this was historical fiction and focused on women delivering library books, it had pretty strong chances of turning out good!
At first, I was worried. It is a slow-to-start book, even much of the first fifty percent is uber methodical and build-intensive. It is not about plot. It’s all about character. Yes, a handful of women try to follow Eleanor Roosevelt’s proposal to deliver library books to those who don’t have access to literature, but it’s also about cheating spouses, living in sin according to some townsfolk, a bad marriage, and a man set out to hurt others. It has a very Kristin Hannah feel like The Great Unknown… although instead of being set in Alaska, this one is set in the 1930s Kentucky.
I’m mostly a plot guy, so I struggled to connect until I let my mind just accept the beauty of the people and the setting. I couldn’t understand why Alice would stay with her husband. His father was atrocious… and even if it was the 1930s, divorce was still possible. Then again, this takes place in a combination of the south and the Bible Belt, so things were very different. Margery O’Hare is absolutely the stand-out character; she tells it like it is and doesn’t care who thinks otherwise. What a beautiful soul, even if her harshness can sometimes malign others unintentionally.
The writing is exquisite and easily draws you in. It feels like you’re alongside the character, watching the abuse and emotional heartache pouring from the scene. I’ve only been in Kentucky once, and not for a very long time, but it seems to be quite beautiful. If only some of these people could have focused on the setting and not the nastiness they’d been taught by their elders. Life was different back then, and there are lessons to be learned. Sin should never be about doing something wrong per another’s standards. It should be about whether you’re truly hurting another person by your actions… Alice learns the hard way when her father-in-law takes matters into his own hands because his son can’t control his wife. Wow! I wanted to pop him one…
I’m glad this won. I encourage others to read it, but know it will take at least 30 to 40% to really draw you in, and it’s worth it if you can commit to being part of a strong character arc… recognizing times were different nearly eighty years ago. So… thank you to the voters… I wonder what you’ll pick for me next.
Every now and then, I read a book that is exceptionally GREAT. The Giver of Stars is one of those. JoJo Moyes works her magic, like a breath of fresh air to this page-turning suspenseful historical novel with unforgettable characters and enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing until the last page. Moyes’ trademark wit keeps the dark themes that thread through the novel from becoming too melancholy.
The English protagonist, Alice Wright, has enough spunk and determination to survive her loveless marriage to the only son of the wealthy mine owner in the forlorn fictional coal mining town of Baileyville, Kentucky. Her source of purpose and inspiration is volunteering to be part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library. These Packhorse Librarians venture through the hollers and mountains, in all kinds of weather and get to know the secluded mountain people. They teach those who do not know how to read the basics of reading. This was a time when mountain folks did not have telephones, radios or televisions. Reading was there one and only entertainment, connection and source of information to life beyond their rugged mountain homes.
Alice’s handsome husband refuses to consummate his marriage to his “beautiful English princess”, as she is referred to by the locals. Her new home becomes a padded palace as she tries to walk the tight rope of her father-in law’s expectations, her husband’s neglect and the housekeeper’s condemnation. A battered bleeding Alice walks out into the cold after her father-in-law savagely beats her on her first Christmas Day in America, and never returns. Margery offers her refuge and their friendship becomes a welcome relief for both of them.
Margery, a notorious deceased bootlegger’s daughter, is the lead librarian and becomes Alice’s best friend. Three other strong independent women join them; though only Margery knew she was strong and self-sufficient before they got started. These brave women refused to be intimidated by men or the social norms of their times. They learn to depend on each other with a new found sense of loyalty, justice and humanity, while the men they love are supportive and often in awe of their women’s courage.
This is a well-researched novel about true events from America’s past. The Giver of Stars will likely become a modern classic. It is unmatched in its range and riveting larger-than-life storytelling, humor, and heartaches.
What’s not to like about a group of women who discover strength by delivering books to families isolated in the wilds of Kentucky? Struggling with the outmoded social mores of the early 1900s, the Pack Horse Librarians are up against nature and all kinds of discrimination. Finding true love wasn’t easy in a time when women were expected to spend their days sewing and cooking. Great historical fiction.
Giver of the Stars by Jojo Moyes is Historical Fiction set in the 1930‘s mountains of Kentucky. It was simply delightful reading this book. What could be better than a book about Kentucky, books, librarians on horseback, history, romance and mystery. Giver of the Stars was my first book by Jojo Moyes but definitely not my last. I’m already looking through her earlier titles picking out my next book. Her characters, plots, and settings seem very real and so much so, I wondered if she had lived in Eastern Kentucky. Giver of the Stars is a must read for anyone who loves historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.
I really enjoyed this book, and I didn’t think I would. Depression era Kentucky is not generally something that would entice me to pick it up. But I loved the strong female characters and the bit of mystery. JoJo Moyes is always a great read.
The Giver of Stars, one of the best books I’ve read this year. I’m giving you all five of my stars for this enjoyable ride!
The superb book will make you laugh and cry and keep you reading straight through to the finish. The horseback librarians are characters to root for and to cherish. The only thing I didn’t like about The Giver of Stars was that it ended.
I was on page 67, about to give it up, when THE GIVER OF STARS took off, and I couldn’t put it down. Although a slow start–about a bunch of women delivering library books in the Kentucky hills–the book’s characters grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. JoJo Moyes is adept at drawing strong women with foibles–Her ME BEFORE YOU is one of the few books that changed my mind about a moral issue. In GIVER OF STARS, she draws memorable female characters as well as flawed and/or wonderful men. She’s just that kind of writer who makes you turn the pages until 4a, rooting for that English transplant in a bad marriage who gets her guy in the end–with an interesting twist or two. Read it, you’ll love it.
Oh, this book! This is the kind of book that leaves you with a book hangover so bad (ahem, good) that you just don’t even want to start another one for awhile. Letting thoughts of it simmer in your mind, the enjoyment of having read it hovering always in the periphery, relishing in the pure delight of a beautifully written story all belong to this book. And it IS beautiful.
The story itself is so fantastically woven together. I love the Packhorse Library and how it comes together. I love seeing how women were starting to work through their feelings of independence and figure out what felt right to them, pushing the boundaries of “acceptable womanly behavior” just a little. Not in a shocking or abrasive way, just enough to say, “hey, I’m human and want to be treated like one. The mystery and case come as a shock and add a layer of intensity that kept me glued to the last 1/3 of the book regardless of what else needed to be done (though I felt a deep gratitude, yet again, to audiobooks!). I love how each woman’s life intertwined and became part of a bigger whole that made up the Packhorse Library Group. Each was so essential and the friendship that is forged between them all was stirring and fantastic and so fun. So for real. Read this book. It’s definitely going to make my list of top favorites for the year!
Now on to the character lineup:
First up: Mr Van Cleve—I hate this man so, so much. I cannot even express what an awful person I think he is. His soul is as dirty as the coal mines he owns. When Moyes set out to write an evil character, she did an excellent job! He’s such a hypocrite—and that’s the best thing I can say about him. He fell in my estimation with every single line that came from his mouth. The only redeeming thing about him was at the end when he finally left Alice and Margery alone and listened to Fred.
I don’t like Bennett much more than his father. He’s a coward, falling prey to whatever his hypocrite father demands and almost never stands up for what he knows to be right.
Alice goes through some amazing character development! I loved when she was going through her old clothes from England and thought, “was I ever that woman?” It really shows how much she has changed and what she actually valued by the end of the book.
Margery is kind of my favorite! She’s spunky, independent, smart, and has some of the best lines in the book. I just loved everything about her. Sven Gustafson is also amazing. I love the relationship between these two and how open and communicative it is. Seems like a bit of a rarity for the time period—and definitely the town—but it’s good. (Also, I don’t want to give anything away, but Virginia Alice O’Hare made me cry. So beautiful!)
Beth and Izzy and Sophia round out the Packhorse Library so well. It was fun to watch this rag-tag group, with so many different viewpoints and personalities, come together as a group of friends, making a difference in one another’s lives and in the lives of those their library reaches out to.
Fred Geisler is the best. I’m pretty sure, more than once, I audibly said, “yes!” About things he said or did. He’s such a fantastic hero. Technically he’s not even the “hero” of the story but I loved him all the same.
The way this book ends left a smile on my face for days, with the occasional giggle. It’s the perfect ending! I also have to say, if someone from the time period had time traveled to today and browsed a public library, that person probably would have been appalled at the books found in that building. Which makes me giggle just a little about their little blue book.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Read by ______. This is a good reader! She has good voices and accents and inflections for all the different people. One of my favorites was when she did Alice, with a British accent, attempting to sound Southern. I was impressed!
This book tells the story of librarians in Kentucky during the early 20th century who delivered books by horseback to those who lived in the remote hills. Once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down.
The Giver of Stars begins in the small town of Baileyville, Kentucky when a woman speaks at a town meeting and explains the new WPA program to get books to the people in the rural areas. She needs several women to help her with this project As expected, many of the men in the town were totally opposed to women doing anything but staying home and they were shocked when several women volunteered, among them Alice VanCleve. Alice has recently moved from England to live with her new husband, one of the richest men in town and the people in town have been very unaccepting of her.. She is finding life with her husband and his father to be very boring and is eager to find some excitement. She became one of the women who rode over the rough mountain terrain to take books, magazines and even comic books to the isolated, improvised people who have no way to get to a library.
The main characters in this book are strong and diverse group of women. Alice, unhappy in her marriage and not accepted by the town; Margery, the daughter of a man, now deceased, who solved his problems with his fists. After what Margery had seen of marriage, she vowed never to get married and lives by herself. Isabelle, has legs crippled by polio and is afraid of horses but wants to help and Sophia, the black woman who keeps the library organized. These women make it their goal to provide literature to other people despite the constant backlash from the men in town who feel that the only thing people should be reading is the Bible and that by providing books, the library women are ruining the moral fabric of the town and spreading salacious material that will undermine the male dominance.
This was a well written, interesting book and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to Penguin UK-Michael Joseph and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.
Jojo Moyes was a name familiar to me (from bestseller lists, movie adaptations, bookshops…) but she was one of the authors I knew by name but hadn’t yet read. When I saw this book on offer at NetGalley and read the description and the fact that it was based on a real historical scheme, the 1930s Horseback Librarians of Kentucky, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to familiarise myself with her writing. As a book lover, I am always fond of stories about books and libraries, and the historical angle was a bonus for me. The Horseback Librarians of Kentucky was one of the projects set up by the WPA (Works Progress Administration), a New Deal Agency established as an attempt to provide work for victims of the Great Depression. In this case, women who could ride (horses, mules…) set up the equivalent of a mobile library, and offered books and reading materials to their neighbours, reaching even those who lived deep in the mountains, too far and too busy to regularly visit the town. In an area as beautiful as it was poor (and it seems it still remains fairly poor and under resourced), the levels of literacy were minimal, and the librarians went beyond the simple delivering of books, becoming a lifeline to many of the families they regularly visited. Although I had read about the WPA and some of their projects, I wasn’t familiar with this one, and it does make for a fascinating setting to the story.
Moyes usually writes contemporary fiction (with more than a touch of romance), so this novel breaks new ground. As I haven’t read any of her previous novels, I cannot make comparisons, but I had a great time reading this novel, which combines an easy and fluid writing style (with some wonderful descriptions of the Kentucky mountains), strong and compelling characters, especially the librarians, with a plot full of adventures, sad and joyful events, romance, and even a possible murder. This is a tale of sisterhood, of women fighting against all odds (society’s prejudices, difficult conditions, nature, illness, domestic violence, evil…), of the power of books, and of a time and a place that are far from us and yet familiar (unfortunately, some things haven’t changed that much).
What did I like, in particular? Many things. I am not an expert on Kentucky or on the historical period, so you must take this with a pinch of salt, but I loved the atmosphere and the period feel. I enjoyed the description of the feelings of the women as they rode their routes, particularly because by telling the story from the point of view of two of the women, Margery, who’s lived there all her life, and Alice, just arrived from England and totally unfamiliar with the area and the lifestyle, we get the familiarity and the newness, and learn that the heartfelt experience goes beyond being comfortable and at home. The mountains have an effect on these women, and at a point when Alice’s life is collapsing around her, give her the strength to go on. Both, the beauty of untamed nature and the comfort of literature, help give meaning to the lives of the protagonists and those who come in contact with them. Of course, not everybody appreciates those, and, in fact, the true villains of the story are people (mostly men, but not only, and I’m not going to reveal the plot in detail) who don’t care for literature and don’t respect nature. (There is an environmental aspect to the story as well, the coalmining industry caring little for the workers or the land if it got in the way of the profit margin).
I also fell for the characters. Margery is magnetic from the beginning: a woman whose father was violent, an abuser and an alcoholic, with a reputation that has tainted her as well; she is determined to live life her own way, help others, and not let anybody tell her what to do (and that includes the man she loves, who is rather nice). Although the novel is written in the third person, we see many of the events from her point of view, and although she is a woman who guards her emotions tightly and does not scare easy, she is put to the test, suffers a great deal, and she softens a bit and becomes more willing to give up some of her independence in exchange for a life richer in relationships and connections by the end of the story. Alice, on the other hand, starts as a naïve newcomer, with little common sense, that makes rushed decisions and believes in fairy tales. She thinks Bennett, her husband, is the charming prince who’s come to rescue her from an uncaring family, but she soon discovers she has changed a prison for another. Her transformation is, in some ways, the complete opposite to that of Margery. She becomes more independent, learns to care less about appearances and opinions, and discovers what is truly important for her.
In a way, the librarians provide a catalogue of different models of womanhood and also of diversity (we have a woman who lives alone with her male relatives, smokes, drinks and is outspoken; a young girl with a limp due to polio who lives under the shadow of her mother; an African American woman who gave up on her dreams to look after her brother, and who is the only trained librarian; and a widow from the mountains, saved by the power of books and by her relationship with other women), and although there are male characters —both, enablers, like Fred and Sven, and out and out enemies— these are not as well defined or important to the story (well, they set things in motion, but they are not at the heart of the story). I was quite curious about Bennett, Alice’s husband, whom I found a bit of a puzzle (he does not understand his wife, for sure, but he is not intentionally bad, and I was never sure he really knew himself), and would have liked to know more about the women whose points of view we were not privy to, but I enjoyed getting to know them all and sharing in their adventures. (Oh, and I loved the ending, that offers interesting glimpses into some of the characters we don’t hear so much about).
And yes, adventures there are aplenty. I’ve seen this book described as an epic, and it is not a bad word. There are floods, a murder trial, stories of corruption and shady business deals, bigotry and scandal, a couple of books that play important parts (a little blue book, and, one of my favourite reads as a young girl, Little Women, and its role made me smile), recipes, libraries, births, deaths, confrontations, violence (not extreme), and romance (no erotica or explicit sex scenes). This being a very conservative (and in some ways isolated society), the examples of what was considered acceptable male and female behaviour might seem old-fashioned even for the time, but, as the #MeToo movement has reminded us, some things are slow to change.
Was there anything I didn’t like? Well, no, but people need to be aware that this is a light read, a melodrama, and although it provides an inspirational tale of sisterhood, it does not offer an in-depth analysis of the ills of the society at the time. The villains, are presented as bad individuals, pure evil, and we learn nothing about them other than they are bad. Although many other important topics are hinted at and appear in the background, this is the story of this particular individuals, and not a full depiction of the historical period, but it is a great yarn and very enjoyable.
The author provides information on her note to the reader about the historical background and how she became interested in the story, and I’ve read some reviews highlighting the existence of other books on the topic, that I wouldn’t mind reading either. For me, this book brings to light an interesting episode of American history and of women’s history, creating a fascinating narrative that illustrates the lives of women in the Kentucky Mountains in the 1930s, with characters that I got to care for, suffer and rejoice with. Yes, I did shed the odd tear. And I’d recommend it to anybody who enjoys historical fiction, women’s fiction, and to Moyes’s fans. This might be a departure from her usual writing, but, at least for me, it’s a welcome one.
Entertaining story of unusual women who formed the first traveling library on horse
back in Appalachia which is an area of abject poverty and superstition.
There is much to love about The Giver of Stars. The story of the packhorse librarians is substantial in itself, but Moyes brings so much more with well-developed characters and riveting events. I had only one small issue with the book, but it’s a spoiler, so I’ll skip it here. Not enough to reduce my rating the book as 5-star.
The only reason I didn’t give this book five stars was because I felt it couldn’t quite decide whether to tell Margery’s story, or Alice’s. Just when I was getting involved in Alice’s story, something dramatic happened to Margery, which split my attention. But, overall, I loved this book! It made me wish we still had the packhorse librarian program here in the U.S., since I met such wonderful characters who worked as librarians.
JoJo Moyes gives us a 5-Star story in this Kentucky tale filled with strong women. Against all odds, the work of a few brave women changed the lives of so many. This story of love and friendship will stay with you long after you close the last page.
The Giver of Stars is about a group of women who lived during a period of history when women were oppressed (that’s most of history), but in particular, The Giver of Stars deals with the oppression of women in the rural landscapes and small towns of America. From 1935 to 1943 in the Appalachian mountains of Eastern Kentucky a WPA program took root, a traveling library was born called the Packhorse Librarians. During a time of prevalent illiteracy, the hillbillies of Kentucky were poor and uneducated, and this program provided more than a hundred thousand people with the gift of magazines, periodicals, and books.
The Giver of Stars is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story about five women from diverse backgrounds who join hands and find friendship as they battle ignorance and obstacles to their fight to keep the library open. The book examines the oppression of women, the lack of government protection over the environment, sexual oppression, marital oppression, and bigotry. I could throw in a few more oppressions, but you get the idea. There are multiple love stories in the book, a murder, a natural disaster, and a manmade disaster. I promise you a few tears, which I always appreciate because that’s when I know something has truly touched my heart, and I guarantee this beautiful novel will touch your heart.
The packhorse librarians of Depression-era Kentucky–not a predictable choice for the always-talented JoJo Moyes, but carried off beautifully by her, with a powerful sense of setting and era. My heart was in my throat in the latter chapters, but all the way through, these women caught me by the heart, moving and inspiring me. A wonderful, informative and thoroughly captivating read!
I think of the characters in this book often.