The Giver of Stars: Reese's Book Club: A Novel

I am a former librarian, now a library school professor, and have long been fascinated by the women who in the 1930s-40s traveled on horseback to deliver books to customers who were too far from the library to be able to use it. They were the forerunners of today's bookmobile librarians, who do the same thing. These women were courageous, dedicated, and devoted to their profession and to their service. They went to towns and homes where no one else would go. They brought education, information, and entertainment to the people they served, including people that had mostly been forgotten about, discarded, or discriminated against. Moyes has done extensive research to create the story of one group of these women, who ran one of the first groups of librarians on horseback in the Appalachian Mountains. Her characters are well-rounded and realistic, appealing to the reader, who gets involved in their lives immediately. But they are not always well-liked by everyone in the communities they serve, and face those are hostile to their service and the people they deliver books to. They also faced physical hardships--the roads they travelled were impossible for anyone not on horseback, and even barely passable for those who were. As Moyes described these women, their lives together, their families, their loves and tragedies, their incredible strength and determination, I was so caught up in their stories, that I read slowly in parts, just because I wanted to enjoy every well chosen word and every well crafted scene. This is a book that you are likely to stay up all night with because you just cannot put it down. Moyes' other books are quality reading, but this one surpasses all others. Who would I recommend this to? Well, librarians of course! Especially to those librarians who are dealing with censorship, banning, hostility and harassment from their communities, and loss of their jobs if they do not knuckle under and purify their collections. Then I'd suggest it to people who want to know about the history of the Appalachian Mountains regions, and the people who lived there. And people who love romance novels who are outside the standard canon, mystery readers (I didn't figure out the central mystery until I finished the book and immediately went back to the first page to read it again! Then it all made sense!), women who like "woman's lit," book club groups who want something meaty to dig into for lengthy and deep discussions, history buffs who want a well researched view of a time and a place, fans of Moyes, and just about anyone who likes a well written story that echoes in their memory long after the book is finished. This one is the newest addition to my Top 10 of All Time List, and I'm betting some of you will feel exactly the same way. And no, it's always okay to go from the last page of a book to the first page, and start it all over again, cause it's so good. This title also joins my list of two that I also read front to back and front to back again. The first one was Linda Howard's "Mr. Perfect", a book you should never read in public if you have a laugh as loud as mine. The second was Lisa Gardner's "Perfect Husband," which wasn't so funny, but which has one of the most horrible villains I've ever read, and again, one that I didn't guess until Gardner revealed him. Two broken people work together, trying to heal both of them. Just remember, don't start Give of Stars when you have to get up early the next day--you'll certainly be dragging if you do--spoken from experience!

by Roses and Ink — written with roses, ink, and honest mistakes The Giver of Stars was a wonderful historical fiction novel that hooked me from the start. I was already drawn to the premise before I even opened the book, and once I began, I read it in a single day. Set in rural Kentucky during the late 1930s, the story follows the women of the Pack Horse Library — Eleanor Roosevelt’s initiative to bring books to people too far out or too isolated to reach traditional libraries. Moyes paints a vivid and respectful snapshot of that time and place, illuminating not just the mission of the traveling librarians but also the broader social landscape. While the library itself anchors the plot, the novel explores much more: the quiet courage of women, the weight of societal expectation, and the intersecting struggles of sexism, racism, and classism. The relationships between the women feel authentic, and the Kentucky setting comes alive through its rugged beauty and close-knit communities. Women’s friendships are written believably and respectfully, with each character contributing something vital to the story. I especially loved Beth — the fist-flying, cigarette-smoking firebrand whose mouthy charm and fearless spirit made her a joy to read. It was refreshing to see how a woman like her might have lived and fought to be herself in that era. Every woman adds depth to the narrative, and their relationships with the protagonist are distinct and beautifully drawn. There are two central female leads: Alice, through whose voice much of the story unfolds, and Margery, the seasoned leader who runs the library and knows every route and mountain pass by heart. Together, they embody the courage and conviction that define the novel — women who refuse to be limited by expectation or terrain. The central conflict of the story is believable and well thought out, and watching it unfold toward the end made the book impossible to put down. As I said, this was a one-day read for me — completely captivating from start to finish. It’s one of the best stories I’ve read in a while, and Moyes does an exceptional job with it. Kudos to her! That said, there were a few underlying storylines that leaned a little toward the Hallmark side — wrapped with ribbons and bows, perhaps softening what would have been harsher truths in 1930s rural America. The narrative dances right on the edge of neatening things too much but never fully crosses the line, keeping it an inescapable and emotionally satisfying read. If you enjoy women’s fiction or character-driven stories with a strong historical focal point, you’ll love this book. The Giver of Stars shines as both a love letter to books and to the women who risked hardship to share them.

I loved this story. There are two main characters, Alice primarily, and Margery, and their character arcs are beautifully wrought. Alice is an English girl who moves to America with her new husband. She goes from English well-to-do strictures to living in a Kentucky coal mining town in the 1940s, and her husband is the son of the mine owner, a cruel man who rules his son's life. The son is handsome but something is wrong with him, something intolerable to a marriage. Out of sheer desperation and boredom, Alice bucks her FIL and takes a job riding books around for the WPA Pack Horse Library. This was actually a thing, which Jojo Moyes has created a lovely novel around. In a world where families kept to themselves, off in the mountains, miles from any school, likely with parents who were illiterate, this mobile library was the only hope for the literacy of some families. The library is mainly operated by Margery, the daughter of one of the town's worst families. Think Hatfields and McCoys. She's the only one left, and the only good one. She is a free spirit, and as the strongest character, constantly bucking the townspeople, she suffers the most. Having such a rough childhood, she is challenged to trust again, and to allow herself to be with the good man who loves her. The novel culminates in a horrible situation that reminded me of the uncivil discourse so common today, and that challenge pulls the women together. No spoilers, but the "singing scene" made me cry, it was so lovely. I went to YouTube to listen to the particular song. What a well-written novel! First, an intriguing setting, where we get to see our America in a post-Depression coal country town. Moyes describes the families and their struggles with such clarity you'd think she grew up there, yet it's a tribute to the research skills of this former journalist who grew up in the UK. She describes a cabin in a holler as if she'd lived in one--and we wonder how anyone survived them at all. Second, the characters are intricately drawn. I can see and remember them as individuals, whether they were good or bad people. Bennett, Fred, Kathleen, Jim Harlan and his girls, and the women who became Alice's dear friends: Margery, Kathleen, Izzy, Sophia (who is black, which adds to the richness of the story, because racism and bravery), Mrs. Brady, and Beth. In the hands of a lesser writer, this would be too many characters, but they're so well written, they all stand on their own and have their own character arcs or at least their own stories. What a treat. What a fine book. Very highly recommended!

This beautiful story reveals many things about friendship and love...it shows that there are absolutely NO "givens" in choosing marriage partners as well as friends...it proves that the spirit that helps folks choose partners is very loosely tied to the spoken word....it also proves that true love cannot be communicated by slick promises or appeals to ones vanity...but by what and how the heart communicates via loving sentiments and actions. I was taken aback by Ms Moyes orchestration of this story: 1) how her characters were "spot on" representations of folks with good and bad intentions...2) how she revealed a time in American history that many folks had little to no inkling actually existed...3) she reinforced the truth of just how evil and dastardly the coal/oil companies really were in raping the land, enslaving and mistreating the "captive/enslaved" mine workers and their innocent families...4) she elightened folks regarding the realities of just how insidious the entire coal industry was in it's devastation and destruction of the town's lands.. infrastructure...homes etc. via the existence of the mines built around shoddy infrastructure as well as promoting the rape of the land via the unsafe tunnels, collapsible ceilings, methane gas...and much more infamy. However, despite all of the aforementioned doom and gloom, Ms Moyes brings us the most wondrous love story via: 1) the traveling librarians....and the beautiful relationships that were built among the "hill folk"...2) the ethereally beautiful comraderie between the librarians themselves along with Sophia and the library owner...3) the stunning jailhouse stand as the librarians stuck together and showed their support for Margery, Sven and Virginia. In this "most definitely can't put downer", Ms Moyes shows how indefatigable the human spirit really is...more importantly, she shows us the abject power contained among 4-5 women from disparate economic, ethnic, racial and educational backgrounds...she shows us what America has always been about...the home of the free and the brave....a home where color, creed and economics have no ability to override the mechanics of love... sisterhood...group affiliations. Ms Moyes shows us a place and a time...and a human spirit that revolves around a common denominator....love is an expression...a currency that guarantees equal representation...equal say regarding what's important vs what isn't.,..the overriding factor being that love and friendship will always be the TRUMP card over more mundane and frivolous incidental factors. Love will always define the outcome and consensus of good and worthwhile human interactions and alliances. Kudos to Ms Moyes for her astute an brave literary achievement!

I read this book because it was my turn to be moderator at my book club. I was surprised that it was yet another book about the hill people of that region. (We had read HILLBILLY ELEGY a few years ago, and most of the people in my book club did not believe that such an ethos existed. A short time after that we read EDUCATED, and again the cultural separation of the "survivalist' communes was hard for people to grasp. It was hard for me as well but for very different reasons. My first marriage had been to an eastern Kentuckian that was from the 'hill ghetto' of Detroit -- a 'ghetto' that is not confined to a specific area but spread across the Detroit sprawl. Culture shock for a young lady from the Big Sky, the wide, friendly, beautiful vistas of the high plains of eastern Montana. But also a very good and strong education that I needed to experience.) Once into the book and realizing what I was going to be reading, my first thought was "how did this young English author get onto this 'other place?' Not only that, she portrayed it so well. Yes, the southern Appalachia area is beautiful, but it is also harrowing at times when you meet the mountain people who live daily lives separated from others to a large extent and who have very different attitudes and beliefs than those outside their space. It is also part of the southern Bible Belt and Moyes depicted that wonderfully well. The hard part for me was dealing with the 1937 Christian ethic that was overrun by a patriarchal brutality that was devastating to the women of the culture whether they played by the rules or not. All of this Moyes included and gave the story such a reality, I was curious about her contacts and her immersion into this culture. Not having read any of Moyes's other works (which I will) I was impressed with the solidity of her characters and the expression that she gave to the culture. What was the appeal for her to dig into this culture and find it worthy of creating a story? I still am not sure, but I loved her strong women. I loved her weak women who became strong. Was she Alice? Many of her women were brave and self-sufficient inside this culture of abusive, overbearing, weak men. And her good men were wise and purely good and sometimes unsure of themselves. Moyes's characterizations were excellent. Her exposition of the devil of the mining business (and incidentally, of the corporate sharp practices ) was spot on. The WPA project for bringing books and a desire for education a strong part of the storyline.

Slow starting, but worth the wait. The characters are all well developed and you will fall in love with the librarians. Strong and courageous women.

Historical, yes. But about how things were. Yes! The good and the bad of it. I recommend this book! As a history teacher, I recommend it as it is a snapshot of culture and society woven into a story in a time when things were different.

I totally immersed myself in this book for 2 hot days in August. Strongly recommend for women. I hear it may be a movie, but it's been in production for 7 years so questionable. I think it would make a wonderful Hallmark drama series.

Una lectura fabulosa.

Interesting read with a fantastic twist which keeps your pages turning

Não conseguia parar de ler!

The givers of stars is such a magnificent book. It looks into the life of a woman that goes through the discovery of herself and what is important in life. It explores the deep roots of friendships built on hard earned trust and women solidarity. It was an amazing book to read.

What a fulfilling novel this was. Downright fine story-telling. I really enjoyed the story within Moyes first novel, Me Before You but I have to say this book -- very different in every way -- is so very readable and engaging. While reading this book, I laughed (often), was worried, and even cried. And not once while reading this delightful novel was I ever tempted to skip even a word, never mind a sentence. I also appreciate that it was based on a true story from America's past. But it was the story itself and all the diverse and true-to-life (and true to the era) characters. Alice and Margery, plus the rest of the traveling librarians, including the Van Cleve's and others -- they'll stay with me for a long time. This quote really sums up so much of what happens in this book: “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.” Highly recommended.