Mike A.
asked:
According to today's Buzzfeed https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tomiobaro/jojo-moyes-the-giver-of-stars-kim-richardson-bookwoman-of it sounds very much like this book represents a significant plagiarism. Who has read both Book Woman, by Kim Michele Richardson which came out first and Mrs. Moyes' book, and what is your take on this controversy?
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Pat Bennett
This is not the first time recently where two or more books have been written about the same subject. I have read several recently. I’d like to think that the universe felt these stories should be told and gave the idea to more than one person to make sure they were told. Much better than accusing an author of plagiarism.
RoseMary Achey
I have read both and the Buzzfeed article. So glad I found your question as the entire time I was reading “Giver of Stars” I continually was comparing it to “Book Woman”. Book Woman does a far better job of capturing the Appalachian narrative. In addition Book Woman is a more engaging story than Giver of Stars. It is unfortunate that Richardson’s book did not receive the same acceptance as Moyes-but if you are going to read one read Book Woman.
Lara
I read "Book Woman" a couple of months ago (recommendation from a friend) and greatly enjoyed it--I'm from the South, and while I knew in general about the Pack Horse Librarians, the depth of research Ms. Richardson put into the story really made it shine. I have nothing against Ms. Moyes or her writing, but I find her claim that she wrote Giver of Stars in a creative frenzy and somehow (amid all the research she says she did) never heard about the other recent book with the similar plot/setting rather ridiculous. I am also, along with Pam, frustrated that Moyes' book is getting publicity and a movie deal nearly sight unseen, while Richardson's book is overshadowed.
G.J.
I have read both books from cover to cover. I was struck that a Brit romance writer would tumble to the topic of book women in rural Ky. But no longer after learning that the Moyes publishing team had the Richardson manuscript long before. The "borrowings" outlined in the Buzzfeed article, taken together, are striking and confirm Moyes had considerable unfair help in her frenzy to finish her work.
Susan Grebe
I'm in the minority here, but I liked The Giver of Stars much much more than Book Woman. I felt so much compassion for the main characters in Giver, and was drawn into their stories. With Book Woman, I felt it was totally lacking in any kind of draw to the main character. I don't think there's really any comparison. To me, The Giver of Stars, was better written and more compelling. And NO, I don't think there was any plagirism.
Beth
I've read both and they share a single historical fact available to anyone with the research skills to delve into the WPA's Packhorse Librarians project. Plagiarism is a serious word to throw around and the Buzzfeed article is a superficial report of a suspicion. I enjoyed both books; each woman made their novels uniquely their own. If anyone feels The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek didn't get the accolades or exposure it deserves (I'll agree with that--it came out first, it's compelling and emotionally satisfying), that's fair. But to say Ms. Moyes plagiarized is going too far. She made this her own with an English central character. Come on! Give each author the credit she deserves.
Dorie - Cats&Books :)
I have read both books. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, for me, was the better story and more well written. The story of the blue skinned people was enthralling and an integral part of the story.
The Giver of Stars focused mainly on the Backpack Librarian program and the different women that participated. Like all of Ms. Moyes books it is a quick read, not as descriptively written and revolves a lot around the new British member of the community and the librarian group.
I was upset when I read the BuzzFeed because it pointed out more comparisons that seem highly unlikely to be accidental. The fact that both had an African American woman in the program, which was not stated anywhere in the factual information but yet Moyes thought to include that after Ms. Richardson's book came out is troubling. In both books a librarian is attacked on her route, in both books they are gifted with a book of poems by their true loves. Whoa that's a lot of coincidences!!
I won't go through all of the comparisons but there are plenty. Because of this I am gong to revisit my review and deduct a star rating because I don't like the controversy surrounding The Giver of Stars.
I think because Ms. Moyes has had other books made into movies perhaps that's why the book was sought for a movie quickly?? Who knows? I will be interested to see what transpires from here.
The Giver of Stars focused mainly on the Backpack Librarian program and the different women that participated. Like all of Ms. Moyes books it is a quick read, not as descriptively written and revolves a lot around the new British member of the community and the librarian group.
I was upset when I read the BuzzFeed because it pointed out more comparisons that seem highly unlikely to be accidental. The fact that both had an African American woman in the program, which was not stated anywhere in the factual information but yet Moyes thought to include that after Ms. Richardson's book came out is troubling. In both books a librarian is attacked on her route, in both books they are gifted with a book of poems by their true loves. Whoa that's a lot of coincidences!!
I won't go through all of the comparisons but there are plenty. Because of this I am gong to revisit my review and deduct a star rating because I don't like the controversy surrounding The Giver of Stars.
I think because Ms. Moyes has had other books made into movies perhaps that's why the book was sought for a movie quickly?? Who knows? I will be interested to see what transpires from here.
Momma Leighellen’s Book Nook
I guess the good news is now I have another wonderful historical fiction book to read about incredibly strong women I never knew even existed. I probably would never have even heard of Richardson's book and now it is in my TBR pile.
Nancy
I can’t believe there was enough time between the publication of the two books for there to have been any plagiarism. Yes, there were similar incidents, but it’s not hard to imagine that a woman alone in a remote area might be accosted by a man. I enjoyed both books and I’m glad this story about strong women is finally being told.
Judith Winter
Since I enjoy a variety of authors I enjoyed both very much. Anyone who can write a book like these two women have are stars in my eyes! I loved both books and the story line was very different. Two different places and all different people.. No need to say one was better than the other. Book woman of troublesome Creek should be read by more people definitely..
Pam
I read "Book Woman" in June 2019 and two months later Good Reads sent information about Moyes' book that was going to be released in October. I was immediately suspicious about the entire thing but not having read Moyes' book yet, could only pose a question on the site so in order to get information out to people I used Cussy Mary and whether she was in both books as my question. I was troubled because Moyes' book will definitely get more play than "The Book Woman" and that did not seem fair. I've received some likes to my question and now I see BuzzFeed has picked up on the similarities also. I have not read Moyes' book yet, probably will but it aggravates me that her book has already been picked up for a possible movie but I never saw anything that showed that much interest in "Book Woman" which is exactly what I was afraid of due to the fact that Moyes has a bigger following.
Darryl
I read "Book Woman" first and was intrigued by both the packhorse story and the blue skin story. Having lived in Kentucky the attitudes, politics, and landscape descriptions all seemed pretty well portrayed. I was bothered by occasional editing gaffes and some clunky writing here and there. Moyes is a better writer and her story and language more compelling, but when finished I felt like I had been emotionally manipulated and suspected that Moyes may well have written the book's subplots and denouement with one eye toward Hollywood's interest. With a little time passed after having read them I think "Book Woman" is the more intriguing in its historical treatment, and "Giver" is a better literary effort. I don't see much substance to the plagiarism allegations bandied about.
Barbara
Have read both and, in my opinion, "Book Woman" is the better book in a number of ways. It gives a much truer picture of Appalachia and the story of the Pack Horse Librarians. It is both more detailed and poignant - I would highly recommend it.
Do not feel I can comment on the plagiarism accusations other than to say an author such as Moyes and her editorial team should certainly have been aware of Richardson's book. Even though they were published a mere five months apart certainly there were galleys and announcements available prior to the releases.
I agree that it's frustrating that Moyes' book got the celebrity endorsement, movie deal etc. but she is the known pop author.
Hopefully the controversy will spark comparisons and discussions of both books so that readers can enjoy both versions.
Do not feel I can comment on the plagiarism accusations other than to say an author such as Moyes and her editorial team should certainly have been aware of Richardson's book. Even though they were published a mere five months apart certainly there were galleys and announcements available prior to the releases.
I agree that it's frustrating that Moyes' book got the celebrity endorsement, movie deal etc. but she is the known pop author.
Hopefully the controversy will spark comparisons and discussions of both books so that readers can enjoy both versions.
Miste
Normally I am not one to wade into controversy, but having just finished reading both books I find myself compelled to take a deep dive.
The first thing I would point out in this "controversy" is to consider the source. buzzfeed.com? Seriously? That's like the National Enquirer of social media. What are they all about but controversy. If you really look into it there is not one credible news source that has picked up on this story. That right there should give you pause to consider before you fully dive into assuming plagiarism. I'm not saying it's a false news story, just someone trying to make controversy where there may not be any and that is what buzzfeed does to drive readership.
While the stories have some similar vibes, they are two completely different stories. It would be easy to jump onto the similarities rather than examining the differences. If you examine the similarities that are pointed out in buzzfeed they are easily dismissible as someone in another post pointed out more eloquently than I probably could. It is where the stories diverge that either give each story a more compelling strength for some and less so for others.
I found the most compelling aspect of Troublesome Creek to be the story of the Blues. That is something I had never heard of and was very intrigued by. If that had not been part of the narrative the story would have been much weaker. The fact that Richardson's book didn't receive the same acceptance is simply that she is an unknown author and honestly her writing was not as strong. The narrative jumps were clunky. If I were her and had just written a book that got overshadowed by a more widely known author I would not be too happy either.
However, Moyes IS much more widely known and lets face it, if you are a fan you are going to read anything she writes and she has lots of fans. She would use a British transplant because you have to work with what you know to some extent. She may not have captured the authenticity of the hill people or language but the story of what it might have been like to be a Book Woman was just as real and authentic as Richardson.
It is not the first time that two authors have stumbled upon an idea and published books with similar themes and it probably won't be the last. But to leap right into saying someone plagiarized should be done lightly and with more basis than a buzzfeed (or similar yellow journalism) article.
I gave both of them 3 stars.
The first thing I would point out in this "controversy" is to consider the source. buzzfeed.com? Seriously? That's like the National Enquirer of social media. What are they all about but controversy. If you really look into it there is not one credible news source that has picked up on this story. That right there should give you pause to consider before you fully dive into assuming plagiarism. I'm not saying it's a false news story, just someone trying to make controversy where there may not be any and that is what buzzfeed does to drive readership.
While the stories have some similar vibes, they are two completely different stories. It would be easy to jump onto the similarities rather than examining the differences. If you examine the similarities that are pointed out in buzzfeed they are easily dismissible as someone in another post pointed out more eloquently than I probably could. It is where the stories diverge that either give each story a more compelling strength for some and less so for others.
I found the most compelling aspect of Troublesome Creek to be the story of the Blues. That is something I had never heard of and was very intrigued by. If that had not been part of the narrative the story would have been much weaker. The fact that Richardson's book didn't receive the same acceptance is simply that she is an unknown author and honestly her writing was not as strong. The narrative jumps were clunky. If I were her and had just written a book that got overshadowed by a more widely known author I would not be too happy either.
However, Moyes IS much more widely known and lets face it, if you are a fan you are going to read anything she writes and she has lots of fans. She would use a British transplant because you have to work with what you know to some extent. She may not have captured the authenticity of the hill people or language but the story of what it might have been like to be a Book Woman was just as real and authentic as Richardson.
It is not the first time that two authors have stumbled upon an idea and published books with similar themes and it probably won't be the last. But to leap right into saying someone plagiarized should be done lightly and with more basis than a buzzfeed (or similar yellow journalism) article.
I gave both of them 3 stars.
Brandy B
I've read them both and I read them both knowing the controversy and they just aren't all that similar. The buzzfeed article explaining how similar they are has a lot of inicidents of "and both got a quilt as a gift" I mean apalacia is known for quiliting... so... "And they both mentioned this book/magazine" which was one of the most popular books/magazines at the time.
The less likely similarties are there are two black characters who work for the library which feels very much like a modern writer putting a minority in where there wasn't one in history... I think it worked better in the Richardson work to show how apart Cussie felt but far more realistic in Giver of Stars that this wasn't a worker who was ever interacting with the patrons.
Two men (who are not named Hillman either one of them Hillman is what they are... IE they are men who live and work in the hills) see a woman on her own and bad things happen... I mean that's the world.... The incidents of the attacks are very different as are how they are handled in the aftermath.
This could be more but it really, really, really feels like two writers going to the same trope well. Not one writer copying another. These books just aren't that much alike at all.
The less likely similarties are there are two black characters who work for the library which feels very much like a modern writer putting a minority in where there wasn't one in history... I think it worked better in the Richardson work to show how apart Cussie felt but far more realistic in Giver of Stars that this wasn't a worker who was ever interacting with the patrons.
Two men (who are not named Hillman either one of them Hillman is what they are... IE they are men who live and work in the hills) see a woman on her own and bad things happen... I mean that's the world.... The incidents of the attacks are very different as are how they are handled in the aftermath.
This could be more but it really, really, really feels like two writers going to the same trope well. Not one writer copying another. These books just aren't that much alike at all.
Rose Humphreys
I've just read both books, almost one after the other. While they share a basic storyline of the book women, they are very different books. Yes, there is a body found in both and some other similarities but I would hardly call that plagiarism. It would be hard to imagine no deaths in the mountains and I'm sure there were black women living in the area, even if none are mentioned in the history of the book women. I loved Book Woman of TC and enjoyed GoS, the former had a subtle depth to it that I found so engaging and gave a more authentic feeling depiction of the area(I listened to the audio version) and Ms Moyes' book was a lighter, romance-slanted story with likeable characters, written by someone who visited but did not live there. It won't set the literary world alight and, like others, I am sad that the better book is not getting the recognition it deserves, but for me, this is not plagiarism. Just two authors finding a facet of history at a similar time and using it in their own ways.
Diana Downey
I've enjoyed several of Moyes' books but was upset by what I read in Buzzfeeds. However, I will be reading the Book Woman now and hopefully soon. I got close to the end of the Giver of Stars but could not get past the lack of authenticity. I went to high school in Kentucky and picked up this book hoping to re-capture that rich heritage and backcountry feel and was disappointed of how British it felt.
Alice
I will not be reading Giver of Stars, nor Moyes' future work, because of this. Very disappointing.
Pamela Carroll
I hate plagiarism. She had enough fame from her other books, no need to take from others. I was 82% done with this when I found out about the controversy. I stopped reading. I'm from Ky and wasn't "feeling it" as it was. There was no soul to the story, just words. Some of the sentences in the beginning were so long they took up an entire paragraph. By the time I got to the end of a sentence I forgot what the sentence was about! You'd think her editor would have caught things like that. I saw the comparisons and was ashamed that anyone with talent would stoop so low as to take from someone else. I read her Me Before You book. I was shocked at the change in style of writing between that one and this one. I told someone it was like it was two different authors. Oh well, there are more authors than this one so I will actually go buy The Book Woman from Troublesome Creek. It won't make Kim M. Richardson rich but it will show her some support.
Kathryn
Read them both (because I'm fascinated with the Packhorse Librarian program). Maybe because I was so looking forward to "Book Woman" and felt so let down by the writing, my hopes for "Giver of Stars" were lower to start with - but I liked "Giver of Stars" better. I found Cussy to be so perfect it made my teeth hurt and some of the conversations she had with her father were obviously done for exposition rather than real conversations. If every time two books had the same historical touchstone people claimed plagiarism, we'd have a lot fewer historical novels to choose from.
Terri
Well, this is interesting! I just signed on here to review "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, " then to add my next book to be read - "The Giver of Stars." Totally unaware of this controversy, I will be curious now to see what similarities there are!
LJ
This is horrible but I am relieved that I don't have to attempt to read another Jojo Moyes novel to hear about these wonderful women.
Laura Broadberry
I know this is a bit of a late response, but I heard Jojo Moyes' agent talk, and obviously this came up. The agent said if this was a case of plagiarism, like Buzzfeed implies but never says outright, it would be in courts right now. However, as the agent says, there are only a few pages that are similar, and as others have commented, similar stories sometimes do happen to get released at the same time
Nan
I have read both and liked each on their own terms. Yes, the settings and backdrop are similar but that's true for many books. I recommend reading both.
I totally agree with Nancy, Beth and Kathryn below.
I totally agree with Nancy, Beth and Kathryn below.
Mike A.
I kept asking around and found someone who read them both and also the Buzzfeed article and this person noted the Buzzfeed article was a little misleading in that its strongest example made it seem like Hillman was a proper noun when in fact it was a descriptor such as a man of the hill country. Also though the article stated its examples were substantially summarized and not actual quotes that is not how it is read.
Ultimately this person felt these were two separate works with some puzzling coincidences between them and took no further position on the issue except to reject the theory of plagiarism. This person was not a previously avowed Jojo fan.
Ultimately this person felt these were two separate works with some puzzling coincidences between them and took no further position on the issue except to reject the theory of plagiarism. This person was not a previously avowed Jojo fan.
Kel
I read Giver of Stars first (for book club) and decided to then read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Book Woman is a far superior read. It is obviously more well-researched than Giver of Stars. "Stars" is a fluffy version that will likely bring lots of $$ as a movie. Would not call it plagiarism, but if I were a Kentucky woman whose researched included living in Appalachian mountains, visiting coal mines and talking with endless people for years, I might be upset to see "my story" adapted into an "empowered woman" story by an English woman.
Joan
I've read Book Woman -- the overlaps as pointed out in the Buzzfeed article are disturbing. It's one thing to have overlaps or even some vague parallels, but these parallels are pretty specific. I won't be reading Giver of Stars. Diplomatically put: It seems implausible to me that there is not something fishy here. More bluntly put: If I had seen this in my copy editing days, I would absolutely have flagged it as plagiarism.
BeverlyB
This was my Book Club Pick for my Sister's Book Club. My sister originally read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek earlier this year and suggested it to me. When trying to decide what my next Book Club pick would be, I found this book amongst my "To Read" and decided to this book would be my pick, but before I started this book, I did read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek so we would both be on equal footing with 2 books about the Pack Horse Librarians.
I loved both books and both books stand on their own. I am sure there are many stories about the Pack Horse Librarians that we don't know about and we should. Talk about women ahead of their time!
This was my Book Club Pick for my Sister's Book Club. My sister originally read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek earlier this year and suggested it to me. When trying to decide what my next Book Club pick would be, I found this book amongst my "To Read" and decided to this book would be my pick, but before I started this book, I did read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek so we would both be on equal footing with 2 books about the Pack Horse Librarians.
I loved both books and both books stand on their own. I am sure there are many stories about the Pack Horse Librarians that we don't know about and we should. Talk about women ahead of their time!
Myra White
Read to the end of the article. Given that Richardson's was published months before Moyes’ book, and the galley proofs were available to Moyes even before that, it is clear that Moyes copied some of Richardson’s language verbatim. The language is cited in the article word for word.
Lindsey Schrader
I went in search of validation within a chapter or two of starting Moyes book and came across the Buzzfeed article. The parallels were rather enlightening. Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a superior work of historical fiction, accordingly I feel that it should receive more recognition than Moyes book.
Marion James
For me the subject matter of this story is brilliant and why cannot there be more books on the subject - The world would be a boring and shallow place if we only expected one book for one subject.
How many books are written about Marilyn Monroe, Jack the Ripper, Henry VIII and his six wives, Richard Nixon, the Kennedys the list is endless but without these books and the many authors that provide us with their stories - I can only applaud those authors because they make our reading journey so much more enjoyable.
Plagiarism such an easy word to use when writing an article - instead of applauding both writers for their work on a subject matter that is far more important in its social content and so relevant today in 2021.
Jojo Moyes has captivated another audience with her simplistic story telling - to me that is what reading a book is all about.
How many books are written about Marilyn Monroe, Jack the Ripper, Henry VIII and his six wives, Richard Nixon, the Kennedys the list is endless but without these books and the many authors that provide us with their stories - I can only applaud those authors because they make our reading journey so much more enjoyable.
Plagiarism such an easy word to use when writing an article - instead of applauding both writers for their work on a subject matter that is far more important in its social content and so relevant today in 2021.
Jojo Moyes has captivated another audience with her simplistic story telling - to me that is what reading a book is all about.
Lisa
A few moths ago , when I was reading Jojo Moyes' new book "The Giver of Stars" I thought how odd that a British romance writer sets her latest novel in rural Kentucky. "The Giver of Stars" is a good, captivating read and features the Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky. Recently, I came across the book "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek" by Kim M. Richardson in the e-section of my library. As I was reading, even though the plot is different, it felt strangely similar to "The Giver of Stars". An Internet search confirmed that many readers noticed similar concepts (dead bodies on route, unwed mothers, black librarian, jail sentence at the end,..) and there is ongoing controversy. I don't want to go into which one is better, but I highly encourage every reader of Jojo Moyes' book to also pick up and read "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek". Kim Richardson's book is authentic and interesting and incorporates the story of the Kentuckian "Blues", a good book that, in my opinion, deserves credit and attention as well.
Christine
Having read both books I agree with those who interpret Book Woman of Troublesome Creek as the superior book. It is better writing, captures the time and place with better description, provides far more information on the project and the blue skin people of Kentucky, all with a better story line. Giver of Stars is a charming story and offers a glimpse of what kind of women worked as pack horse librarians but the story is a bit of froth, more like a chick lit sort of piece, and the whole mystery aspect of the story is poorly narrated or resolved.
Colleen
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Victoria Abel
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Jill Weber
I hadn't heard of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek before I saw this question. I suspect that the buzz around Giver of Stars is getting attention to Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I had to put it on hold because all the copies at the OC Library are checked out or on hold.
Jamy Welch
Read and enjoyed both.
Isabella Hale
I had no idea controversy surrounded this book. This is not my type of book though it does sound interesting..
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