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The Giver of Stars

Jojo Moyes (Goodreads Author)

4.27 · Rating details · 246,616 ratings · 22,698 reviews

Set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond

When Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, she escapes her stifling life in England, but small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver ...more

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Kindle Edition, 390 pages

Published October 8th 2019 by Pamela Dorman Books (first published October 3rd 2019)

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The Giver of Stars

Jojo Moyes (Goodreads Author)

Release date: May 04, 2021

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Oct 12, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: on-my-read-list

I don't want to read more plagiarism comments. Every book is unique and I truly loved this book which is one of my favorite reads of 2019! Period.

I don’t have to give 5 billion stars to this book! I would donate the full galaxy system to the author if I could. (I already made a phone call and talked to a NASA technician about their star auction department, unfortunately he hanged up on my face! Can you believe it? And I told them I was Buzz Aldrin’s wife, those young people are really disrespect ...more

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Oct 04, 2019 Brenda ~Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I am far in the minority here with this one. For someone who rarely is I am not sure what is wrong with me. Way too much drama here for me and with similarities to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek I am just one BIG grump so I am moving on! ...more

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Aug 22, 2019 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, historical-fiction

I was so excited to see that Ms. Moyes had chosen to write a historical fiction novel and was fortunate enough to obtain an advanced readers copy. It is different from her previous contemporary women’s fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book is a quick read, the prose flows beautifully and the plot moves along at a good pace. I found the characters to be well developed, interesting and unique.

As you all know from the blurb this book is based on the 1930’s Horseback Librarians program in K I was so excited to see that Ms. Moyes had chosen to write a historical fiction novel and was fortunate enough to obtain an advanced readers copy. It is different from her previous contemporary women’s fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book is a quick read, the prose flows beautifully and the plot moves along at a good pace. I found the characters to be well developed, interesting and unique.

As you all know from the blurb this book is based on the 1930’s Horseback Librarians program in Kentucky which was started by Eleanor Roosevelt. The purpose was to bring books and thus help educate and enrich the lives of people who lived in the hills in the Appalachian countryside of Kentucky. The program asked a lot of the women who would ride horses and mules laden with books many miles, often in inclement weather, to reach the homes and families in the mountains.

When the call goes out in Baileyville, Kentucky for volunteers for the program there are a myriad of different women with unique personalities. The group is headed by Margery O’Hare who has lived in these mountains her entire life and knows all of the routes up the mountains. She is a fiercely independent woman having suffered from the iron fist of her bootlegger father who died when she was young.

Into the mix we meet Alice Wright a newly arrived English woman who has come to marry Bennett Van Cleve, a wealthy son of a mine baron whom she met on his European tour. Alice wanted so badly to leave her sheltered, suffocating life in England that she fell for the handsome American very quickly. She is disappointed to find that they will not be living in Louisville as she had previously thought, but instead this small town called Baileyville. She soon finds that living with her father in law is just an impossible situation as he has set rules for the household that she must abide by. When she gets the chance to volunteer for the library program she jumps at the chance to get out of the house, meet other women and explore the beautiful mountains.

There is also Beth, Izzy and an African American woman named Sophia who all help out with the running of the library. Their stories I will leave you to discover.

Though the library sounds like a good idea to some, there are others in the town who don’t like mingling with the mountain people and have restricted views of what a woman should be doing with her life. They are up for a battle against these strong and courageous women.

There are many obstacles for them to overcome including racism, prejudice against women working outside the home, physical limitations and suspicion about Alice because she speaks differently, her British accent, and is considered an outsider.

The novel strengthens my belief of the importance of books in everyone’s lives. How fortunate we all are that there are libraries and bookstores where we can enrich our lives with an immense selection of books to suit our every need and taste.

This book will introduce you to the Horseback Librarian program, the beautiful hills of Kentucky and some pretty awful people who only see the hills as a place to mine coal and make their pockets heavy without a thought to the beauty they are destroying. Intruders are not welcome!

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a great historical read with wonderfully descriptive writing and characters that you will not soon forget.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. ...more

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Aug 14, 2019 Paromjit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, netgalley, women-s-fiction

A brilliant epic historical drama set in the US Depression era in Kentucky and the Appalachians from Jojo Moyes that draws on real life actual history. Those who have been life long readers will understand the power of books and reading, Moyes focuses on just how important books can be in challenging and changing people and in shaping the world in this powerful telling of the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky. The English Alice Wright weds American Bennett Van Cleve on his European Tour to escape A brilliant epic historical drama set in the US Depression era in Kentucky and the Appalachians from Jojo Moyes that draws on real life actual history. Those who have been life long readers will understand the power of books and reading, Moyes focuses on just how important books can be in challenging and changing people and in shaping the world in this powerful telling of the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky. The English Alice Wright weds American Bennett Van Cleve on his European Tour to escape the limitations of her life. However, she is to rue her decision when she arrives in Baileyville, Kentucky and the realities and restrictions of small town living begin to sink in, made all the more unbearable by her father in law. She is to take the momentous step of volunteering for Eleanor Roosevelt's efforts to establish travelling libraries, despite opposition at home, delivering books to the impoverished, travelling great distances on horseback. Alice is to find adventure, great friendships, fulfillment, freedom, adversity, danger, resistance and suspicion as she embarks on a path that is set to change fundamentally her identity.

The woman leading the book initiative is the brave Margery O'Hare, the daughter of a bootlegger, strong, independent, unafraid, determined and defiant, and with whom Alice finds support and much needed friendship. Along with Beth, Izzy, and the black Sonia, the courageous women face the initial reluctance of families and women, only to be eventually welcomed and valued. However, men are afraid of losing control of women, and other powerful forces, such as mine owners, exploiting workers who labour in deplorable conditions for poor rewards, see them as a threat and danger to the established social, political and economic order. Increasing literacy, books and knowledge inevitably have consequences, making people question what is, expand horizons, fire the imagination, but change never comes easy, with the rise of implacable resistance, danger and tragedy that follows in its wake.

Moyes writes with passion and verve in this impeccably researched novel, full of details and rich descriptions of this historical era. The women are a disparate group of unconventional, stand out complex characters, that are well developed and who I invested in. This is a terrific read that immerses the reader in this period of US history and the norms, expectations and attitudes of the time, with the drama enhanced by the beautiful location with its wilderness. It touches on issues of racism, class, misogyny, exploitation, and hard lives, with a moving and heartwarming narrative that resonates with our contemporary world where the hard won rights of women can no longer be taken for granted. Additionally, it serves as a salutory reminder of just what an impact books can make to individuals and the world, a world in which our libraries are being closed and under continual threat today. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC. ...more

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Mar 21, 2020 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

this story is a love letter to every person who understands the importance of literacy, of reading for both knowledge and entertainment, and the need for libraries. it is also a tribute to the resilience, independence, and compassion of women. both subjects are very dear to my heart, so this book feels like it was written for me personally, and i love that.

ive only known JM for her romance stories, which i enjoy, but she has really outdone herself with this historical tale. its an ode to humani ...more

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Oct 10, 2019 AnnaLuce rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reviews, disappointing-reads, 7-not-for-me, audiobooks

★★✰✰✰ 2.5 stars

“She wasn’t really one for big groups, but she quite liked this, the jokes and the merriment, and the way that you could see actual friendships springing up around the room, like green shoots.”

The Giver of Stars is a sweeping rural romance that tells a fictionalised account of the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians. It is very much a book-club kind of book as it is inspired by a real group of librarians who between 1935 and 1943 delivered books to some of the most remote regions ...more

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Oct 06, 2019 Angela M rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss-reviews

This is a wonderful tribute to how books can change people’s lives and to the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians, so of course I loved this book. I first heard of the Pack Horse Librarians when I read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. It’s a fascinating piece of history. This initiative was started by Eleanor Roosevelt as part of the Works Progress Administration set up in the mid 1930’s. At first I thought that this would be just a good story about a group of gutsy, dedicated women who brought b This is a wonderful tribute to how books can change people’s lives and to the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians, so of course I loved this book. I first heard of the Pack Horse Librarians when I read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. It’s a fascinating piece of history. This initiative was started by Eleanor Roosevelt as part of the Works Progress Administration set up in the mid 1930’s. At first I thought that this would be just a good story about a group of gutsy, dedicated women who brought books to people who would not otherwise have access in the hills of Kentucky. But as the story progressed, I found this book to be so much more.

Margery O’Hare, strong, feisty and independent heads up the program. Alice Van Cleve is a newlywed from England, who has come to Kentucky with her American husband, son of a heartless, cunning mine owner whose interest in making money is more important than the safety of the miners and the citizens of the town. She soon finds that her marriage is not what she hoped for. Izzy, the polio stricken daughter of an established, well to do family is suffocating in her mother’s smothering. Beth, the brash local farmer’s daughter and Sophia, the astute black librarian round out this group and are later joined by Kathleen, one of the women whose family benefited from the books these women brought to her home. As these women take to the road, we see the people of this place and time and their hardships - a father with black lung disease, his wife having to do so much of the hard work, a widowed father raising two little girls, the danger of the mines, the prejudice, the racist sentiments, the poverty, the sexist attitudes towards women. Moyes realistically portrays the things that might have happened in this small mining community in Kentucky in the 1930’s.

I loved how the friendships develop among these women who come to know each other, care about and support each other. They ride through treacherous conditions and I loved seeing how much the people came to look forward to their visits especially the children and how the books and magazines made a difference in their lives . Children learn to read. The sick find respite from their pain as the librarians read to them. I was moved by the impact that the books had, but also the impact that these women make, especially Margery on trying to right some of the wrongs by Van Cleve whose greed causes further suffering for these people.

I found the writing lovely in places, especially the descriptions of the mountains, the landscape. Pertinent quotes from some classic books at the beginning of some chapters was a nice addition - Little Women, The Red Pony and others that I wasn’t familiar with like a little blue book you’ll have to read about for yourself :). Louisa May Alcott could not have imagined the powerful role her book plays in this story. There’s a lot packed into the novel - love stories, friendships, a murder, a courtroom drama, fabulous character development, and as I said at the outset, a wonderful tribute to books and these courageous women and a fantastic piece of historical fiction. I’m a retired librarian so I can’t rate this any less than five stars. :)

I read this with Diane & Esil and as always a wonderful discussion.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Pamela Dorman/Penguin through Edelweiss. ...more

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Oct 23, 2019 NReads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

5 stars

“She just wasn’t sure she had yet been to the place she was homesick for.”

okay okay okay so where do I start? Maybe with the fact that this book is freaking awesome and I really really liked it? Sounds about right.

So The Giver of Stars is basically about a group of women who work in this mobile library and their adventures while distributing books to houses that can not reach them easily. Honestly if you are not patient this book might bore you a little, because in the first 250 pages not ...more

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Oct 08, 2019 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lor-2019

4.5 when I first started reading this I thought, wonderful another story about the pack librarians, this set in Kentucky. Wondered how close it would be to the The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Except for the job itself and being part of the WPA, not close at all. I was also glad that do many authors are writing about little known history, of strong women who refused to bend and accept only the roles available at that time.

Then I fell for the characters, was pulled into each of their lives. W ...more

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Nov 21, 2019 NReads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

5 stars

“She just wasn’t sure she had yet been to the place she was homesick for.”

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Oct 01, 2019 Debra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

“Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt started a traveling library program and many women answered the call to become traveling librarians. Women traveled on horseback to bring books to those living in rural areas. From the years of 1936 to 1940 over 100,000 people were brought books.

Recently married, Alice (Wright) Van Cleve, has moved from England to her n “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt started a traveling library program and many women answered the call to become traveling librarians. Women traveled on horseback to bring books to those living in rural areas. From the years of 1936 to 1940 over 100,000 people were brought books.

Recently married, Alice (Wright) Van Cleve, has moved from England to her new home in Kentucky with her husband, Bennett Van Cleve and her father in law. New to the area and feeling isolated and alone in her home, she is happy to become a traveling librarian under the guidance of Margery O'Hare, a local woman who lives life on her own terms. Margery knows the mountains and shows Alice the ropes and introduces her to the people who live in the hills above the town.

Soon, Margery and Alice are joined by Beth, Izzy and Sophia who contribute and help the library run even with the town appears to turn against them. Helped and looked after by Fred Guisler, the women band together, form friendships and show courage as they travel long miles in inclement weather knowing that not everyone is on their side and there are those just waiting to see them fail.

"A woman is like a tea bag, you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water." -Eleanor Roosevelt.

This was a compelling book based on a true story. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this one. I also enjoyed how this book highlighted each woman's strengths and showed them supporting each other and gaining confidence and courage from being around each other. I enjoyed the positive relationships between the women, so often women are pitted against each other and in this book, they draw strength from each other and lift each other up. There is some romance in this book, but it is the women who truly shine.

Plus, a book about the love of book and sharing books with others, what's not to love?

Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

**Traveling Sisters Group Read ...more

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Oct 28, 2019 Elyse Walters rated it liked it · review of another edition

With extraordinary mountain women delivering books as a part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library...
that alone should have kept me interested....
....so-so....fair/ not anywhere near outstanding.

The historical facts are noteworthy....
but it was a slow pony-reading-ride for me.

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Oct 18, 2019 *TUDOR^QUEEN* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5

This was a wonderful work of historical fiction based on the WPA project "Pack Horse" librarians. It was the FDR Administration's order to create a travelling library in the Appalachian Mountains of rural Kentucky. During 1935-1943, women would ride horses to homes in these mountainous locales, delivering books to families. They would come again the next week to retrieve those books and switch them out with others. These librarians came to know these families and what ki 4.5 Stars rounded up to 5

This was a wonderful work of historical fiction based on the WPA project "Pack Horse" librarians. It was the FDR Administration's order to create a travelling library in the Appalachian Mountains of rural Kentucky. During 1935-1943, women would ride horses to homes in these mountainous locales, delivering books to families. They would come again the next week to retrieve those books and switch them out with others. These librarians came to know these families and what kind of books they would desire to read. At first they were met with distrust and suspicion, but these women were patient, kind and good listeners. They learned what their "customers" liked/needed over time, such as recipe books, picture books for early readers, and classics such as "Little Women."

In addition, the women who volunteered for these paid travelling library positions all had unhappiness or difficult challenges in their lives. One newlywed who hailed from England not only found herself disoriented by her new environment living in the mountains of Kentucky, but also fretted at the thin walls of a home she and her new husband shared with her father-in-law. Alice's husband was hollywood star handsome and immaculately groomed, but months into their marriage they had still not experienced married love. Another Packhorse librarian was a black woman named Sophie who used to be a librarian in an all-black library in a neighboring city. She only returned to Baileyville when her brother sustained a devastating injury and became disabled. Another librarian named Izzy had a limp due to childhood polio, using a cane and a special thick shoe on one foot. Her parents coddled her as a result and she was bored with her sheltered, although comfortable existence. The leader of the library project, Margery, was notorious for living against the grain as she liked, despite other's estimation that she was living a life of ill repute. She kept company with the handsome miner Sven for about a decade, but had no intentions of getting married. All these women found a fulfillment in so many ways performing in this unique role of travelling librarian. They enjoyed nature, self-sufficiency in the elements, establishing meaningful relationships with families, and just knowing what an important role they were playing in people's lives. Their "customers" let them know week by week just how happy these books made them, and even improved the knowledge of children. In one very touching situation, a young wife and mother of three had a dying husband that was bedridden. She asked one of the travelling librarians to come inside and read to her husband for awhile, which was so therapeutic to him.

There also was a lot of angst involving happiness in love relationships. The English export Alice was very attracted to and loved her husband, but months into their marriage, to her confusion and grief, they had not consummated the marriage. Fred had donated the homey and warm cabin that housed the travelling library, and he lived in a lovely abode just behind it. His wife had left him years ago, and he had learned very well to take care of himself. He was rugged and handsome and made a living raising/selling horses, but he also had become a wonderful cook and kept an immaculate home. Everyone in the library noticed the magnetic tension between Fred and Alice. Kathleen Bligh was a recent widow and mother of three young children who vowed to never marry again, heartbroken in her grief. Margery and Sven seemed to have everything going for them including enjoying married love without being married.

This book had so many good things going for it such as likeable characters, life challenges met with courage and resiliency, a strong sense of community...but most of all, friendship. This little library was a safe haven from the problems of the outside world, where one could have a cup of coffee, build a fire, talk about their problems, lock the door against unwelcome visitors, or just read a book in peace. It also was a place where several women were able to build self-esteem, feel productive and add meaning to their lives. I highly recommend this heartwarming and fine book to everyone.

Thank you to the publisher Pamela Dorman Books / Penguin Publishing Group who provided an advance reader copy via Edelweiss. ...more

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Oct 25, 2019 MarilynW rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: traveling-sisters-read, edelweiss

Englishwoman Alice Wright meets and marries Kentuckian Bennett Van Cleve after he and his father visit her homeland. Bennet sweeps her off her feet and she's madly in love, picturing living in a busy city, Instead the Bennetts live in a small mining town where they run the mines that employ most of the men while also taking advantage of the men and their families.

The marriage that Alice entered into so happily is a loveless marriage, with her brutal father in law berating Alice at every turn. A ...more

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Oct 21, 2019 Larry H rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 stars, rounded up.

"Just a little homesick, Alice answered. It was the truth, she thought. She just wasn't sure she had yet been to the place she was homesick for."

Alice Wright was suffocating in England. Her parents always treated her as an embarrassment, seeing her "emotional" nature and her free spirit as a definite liability, something which needed to be quashed. When she met handsome athlete Bennett Van Cleve, who is visiting England with his father, their whirlwind romance surprises Ali 4.5 stars, rounded up.

"Just a little homesick, Alice answered. It was the truth, she thought. She just wasn't sure she had yet been to the place she was homesick for."

Alice Wright was suffocating in England. Her parents always treated her as an embarrassment, seeing her "emotional" nature and her free spirit as a definite liability, something which needed to be quashed. When she met handsome athlete Bennett Van Cleve, who is visiting England with his father, their whirlwind romance surprises Alice yet gives her a reason to escape her stifling life.

She quickly realizes that living in rural Kentucky in the midst of the Depression isn't much more exciting. She stands out like a sore thumb in their small town, and she and Bennett live with his domineering father, who sticks his nose into everything that goes on in his household. Alice isn't interested in attending teas with the other women, many of whom hate her for landing a man like Bennett, nor is she content simply to sit at home and be idle.

When Eleanor Roosevelt's traveling library program is brought to their town, and volunteers are sought, Alice quickly signs up, much to the chagrin of Bennett and his father. She strikes up a friendship with the library's leader, Margery O'Hare, a tough-talking, independent woman who was the daughter of the town's most notorious moonshiner, and someone who will never let anyone—especially a man—tell her what to do.

After recruiting other women to help, the library program becomes something many residents value, not only for the books, but for the companionship these so-called packhorse librarians bring. But not everyone in the area approves—some, including Bennett’s father—don’t like the "ideas" that these books put in women’s heads.

As Alice’s marriage continues to disintegrate, the library and her fellow librarians become her only source of comfort. But things are becoming more fragile at home and in town, and the librarians, particularly Margery, find themselves in danger and the library is at risk.

This was a fascinating and poignant story that I raced through. It’s funny, I am not much of a fan of historical fiction yet I’ve now read two of Moyes’ historical novels and loved both. There is mystery, romance, emotion, injustice—enough to get nearly anyone fully immersed.

I really do love the way Moyes writes, and these characters felt so real to me. I’m so glad I read this.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/. ...more

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Aug 09, 2020 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Historical Fiction Fans

Shelves: gr_awards_2019, audio, 2020, historical-fiction, library, favorites

Before I get into my review, I want to make those reading this aware that I was informed that this book has a similar story to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Whether The Giver of Stars was inspired by the other book, just coincidentally about the same subject matter, or, as some conjecture, a “rip off” of the other title, I will not be addressing. I know that I see many books in one genre released close to each other a lot. One example is it seems like every other week there is a new book Before I get into my review, I want to make those reading this aware that I was informed that this book has a similar story to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Whether The Giver of Stars was inspired by the other book, just coincidentally about the same subject matter, or, as some conjecture, a “rip off” of the other title, I will not be addressing. I know that I see many books in one genre released close to each other a lot. One example is it seems like every other week there is a new book about female spies during WWI and/or WWII. So, for now, and with not having read The Book Woman, I will just share my feelings on The Giver of Stars.

Speaking of giving stars, I give this one 5 of them!

This story is built around the WPA Pack Horse Library Project in rural Eastern Kentucky. According to Wikipedia, this project ran from 1935 to 1943. The idea was to deliver books to those who may not have easy means to access them as people would be able to in more affluent, urban areas. It is a very interesting part of American history that I knew nothing about until I read this book and it made for a fantastic backdrop to the story.

This book is full of fantastic and interesting characters. I was easily able to invest fully in each of their lives and backgrounds. When good things happened to them, I rejoiced. When bad things happened to them, my heart broke. When they were angry or mistreated, I raged right along with them. Being able to empathize/sympathize like that tells me I am reading some well developed characters.

The story was fantastic throughout – no filler at all. I was on the edge of my seat watching the project develop from the very beginning, through all the trials and tribulations (greed, racism, sexism, abuse, etc.), to the final conclusion showing the power of the sisterhood of librarians. This is a book that I wanted to step into and when I hit the final page, I did not want it to be over.

I highly recommend this book for historical fiction fans, mid-20th Century American History buffs, and anyone who just loves a great story.
...more

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Jan 15, 2020 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, library-has

Author Jojo Moyes, of Me Before You fame, tries her hand at something a little different here.

description

Pack Horse librarians in the 1940s

It was hard to put this one down! It's set in depression-era rural Kentucky, where an intelligent (if somewhat clueless, at least at first) English girl moves after a whirlwind romance and marriage to a handsome guy who's the son of the local bigwig and mine owner. Everything - including the marriage, for very good Reasons - is working out to be a huge disappointment for Alice, so when a lady in a town meeting asks for women to deliver library books by horse to the locals, Alice impulsively volunteers, to the dismay of her husband and the anger of her father-in-law.

The Giver of Stars is a well-written historical drama, focusing on the relationships of Alice with the people around her, and spiced up by a murder investigation and trial. Despite the trials and tribulations of Alice and her friends, I'd say this book is ultimately on the lighter side of historic fiction, especially where Jojo Moyes wraps everything up in the end with a nice feel-good bow. But if you like books like Where the Crawdads Sing, I think this one is fairly similar in style.

And I’d love to know more about the actual history of the Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky!

description

I’ve looked into the plagiarism claims relating to similarities between this book and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I have to say I’m not convinced at all ... and I’m an IP lawyer. Most of the limited similarities can be explained by coincidence and current trends in historic literature (there's an inescapable logic in having a smart black woman character be part of the packhorse librarians, even though there's no actual history supporting that, or having an uncouth mountain man accost and threaten one of the librarians). The timelines of the novels coming out are awfully close for any copying, even if Moyes did see an ARC (which she asserts she didn't). But I’ll reserve final judgment until I actually read Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (ETA: which may never happen at this rate, oh well). ...more

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Jan 01, 2021 Nicole rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021, audiobooks, historical-fiction, fiction

I wouldn’t have read this book if it wasn’t for the audiobook. Book club kind of novels aren’t my favorite thing to read but I'm surprisingly enjoying listening to these stories. I have seen this book around often recently and decided to give it a try. I haven’t tried anything by Moyes since Me Before You which left me with conflicted feelings.

The Giver of Stars is about five women taking part in Eleanor Roosevelt’s Traveling Library, in Kentucky in the 1930s. The book focuses mainly on Alice an

The Giver of Stars is about five women taking part in Eleanor Roosevelt’s Traveling Library, in Kentucky in the 1930s. The book focuses mainly on Alice and Margaery but we also learn about the rest of the librarians through them. Moyes mostly tackles the discrimination, GBV, and illiteracy in the area at that time. Although this wasn’t that heavy on the romance, it certainly played a part in this story.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and I was entirely captivated… most of the book, at least. Starting with the characters, while I didn’t particularly love them, I still enjoyed reading about them. I even liked Alice more than Margaery and was interested more in her story (unpopular opinion, yes). I found Margaery’s characterization cliché instead of refreshing. Sure, I appreciated how she was opposing the norms and doing whatever she wants not caring about the men’s opinions. But that's done many times before. So what makes her stand out? Well, nothing in particular. Independent woman not wanting to marry because marrying means having to answer to someone (view spoiler). I also found Van Cleave your typical famous villain. The full of flaws hateful, mean, violent, traditionalist, controlling, bad old man.

My favorite part was introducing people to reading and nurturing their love for books by giving them suitable novels, magazines, cookbooks, etc. The relation between poverty, illiteracy, and the common belief of the uselessness of education was also pretty well-handled. The librarians always tried to encourage reading in their town without giving up nor embarrassing those who ask (after they refused them first). It was a very nice initiative and didn’t know about it before reading this book.

Overall, it would’ve been a 4 stars read it wasn’t for the last part. I found it very overdramatic and taking the same path as Where the Crawdads Sing… which wasn't a favorite of mine either (that part). Although it’s not a long book, I was surprised when I saw it’s less than 400 pages because it definitely felt longer with all the unnecessary additions. I was also rather indifferent about the romance. I didn’t feel the chemistry.

I will be reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek probably next month because I was interested in the premise and I also want to see if the books are similar. But from what I’ve heard there’s no plagiarism and it was a coincidence. The two books take a different direction after the similar premise. We’ll see. Also, it doesn’t make sense since both books were released within months of each other.

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Dec 21, 2019 Tina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books

There is currently a goodreads giveaway for this book right now.

This is a historical fiction. I loved this book so much. Their was horses, books (library traveling), love, happiness, sadness, and a ton more, so this book basically has everything I love in one book . This book was very well written. The characters was so developed, and the storyline was everything. I really loved this book. (*)

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Nov 06, 2019 Dem rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

3.5 Stars

This is the ideal Winter Comfort Read, put the logs on the fire, or wrap up on the couch with a warm blanket and induge yourself in a little comfort reading. Having readThe Book Woman of Troublesome Creek in May this year I did feel this one sort of overlapped for me and perhaps this is my reason for a 3.5 star rating. A lovely book but more fiction than history and hence my liking it as opposed to loving it.

Set in Depression era America, The Giver of Stars tells the fiction story of f ...more

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Feb 23, 2020 Jen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Took me a while to get into this one....the beginning very much paralleled that of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. But as I continued to contemplate ditching it, it finally started to take a new curve and I am delighted to say, this became a much larger story.
A man is found in the mountains dead - with a copy of Little Women. A trial ensues with a travelling librarian. A story of resilience, sisterhood, strong women who are each faced with their own challenges but find solace in delivering ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Sara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Realy impressed by this book , Loved the bookclub and all the people in it and had an realy great connection with alice , realy enjoyed the story and the pacing and how real this all felt , the only thing that threw me of is the whole murder thing with the prison situation and stuff, I just don't like to read about it because i'm bored by it, but I can 100% recommend this book , don't hesitate to pick it up and let me know what you liked about it , 4⭐⭐⭐⭐ ...more

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Feb 28, 2020 Danielle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fab-book-club-books, reese-witherspoon-bookclub

2020 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.

A pack of strong women, delivering library books via horseback to the outskirts of Kentucky. I’m a sucker for any book about the love of books and this had all that and more. This had a crime/mystery, drama, love, friendship... sooooo many feels with this book. It’s was wonderful!

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Oct 28, 2019 Cheri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1930s, library-book, 2019, kentucky

Maybe just to know that something this beautiful exists is all we can really ask for.”

The Pack Horse Library Initiative was an initiative that was part of the New Deal project in the 1930s. It was not the first attempt to improve the number of literate residents of Kentucky, the first one lasted one year in 1913. A later attempt followed as the 1920s were approaching and lasted slightly longer than the first initiative. This story covers the initiative of the 1930s. While the people and the inci ...more

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Oct 19, 2019 Phrynne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this one so thank you to a couple of Goodreads friends who likened it to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek which made me want to read it. I love the idea of those women who set off on the backs of horses and mules to take library books to people who lived far from civilisation.

The Giver of Stars tells of a group of these women and of their lives and their tribulations. Among them is Alice, a young woman from England in an unhappy marriage, Margery, a local woman with very indi ...more

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Sep 16, 2019 Nadia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

The Giver of Stars is a historical fiction novel featuring true events that took place in Kentucky in late 30s and early 40s when a group of young women got employed by a US government scheme to go into the mountains on horses and take books to families who might not otherwise get a chance to read.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I did enjoy the author's Me Before You but didn't feel the need to carry on with the two follow up books. Some stories are better left alone. The Giver of S ...more

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Feb 29, 2020 Brandice rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Giver of Stars is a historical fiction story about the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky, a group of 5 women who travel through a large region of the mountainous state delivering books to rural residents, through a program inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt. These women endure several challenges along the way, facing racism and sexism, as well as the hardships of small-town life.

Margery, the leader of the pack, was easily my favorite character, an independent woman well ahead of her time. Alice, ...more

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Dec 17, 2019 Lucy Langford rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5***

I was really debating between a 3 and a 4 star so ended up in the middle. This book was my first read about the Pack Horse Library Project which opened me up to learning a little bit about history that I never realised.

This was a fictional piece of work based around the library project in a Kentucky. Some parts of this book I really enjoyed- I enjoyed the individuality of each of the women, I liked that in a time where men controlled most things they fought to have this bit of independenc ...more

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Dec 11, 2019 Holly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, 2019-read, historical-fiction

This is my 1,000th book review on Goodreads and by a complete coincidence it’s for a book about librarians - how perfect is that?!

Librarians maybe don’t sound like the most interesting choice for protagonists, but these aren’t your typical librarians. They are in the backwoods of Kentucky in the 1930s and instead of sitting in a library, they ride out on horses and donkeys to deliver books. They also have a myriad of interesting personal issues going on, including a little bit of romance (this ...more

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May 09, 2020 SimitudeSims rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-book-club-books

Loved this book. Mrs. Brady was my favorite character. We need more people like her.

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About Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes

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Jojo Moyes is a British novelist.

Moyes studied at Royal Holloway, University of London. She won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to study journalism at City University and subsequently worked for The Independent for 10 years. In 2001 she became a full time novelist.

Moyes' novel Foreign Fruit won the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) Romantic Novel of the Year in 2004.

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“There is always a way out of a situation. Might be ugly. Might leave you feeling like the earth had gone and shifted under your feet. But there is always a way around.” — 80 likes

“She just wasn’t sure she had yet been to the place she was homesick for.” — 47 likes

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