The Giver of Stars - Jojo Moyes

The Giver of Stars

By Jojo Moyes

  • Release Date: 2019-10-08
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 5,129 Ratings

Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER |  A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
 
“A great narrative about personal strength and really captures how books bring communities together.” —Reese Witherspoon
 
From the author of the forthcoming Someone Else’s Shoes, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and 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.

Reviews

  • Such a good and easy read

    5
    By LOber01
    The author really is able to paint a picture with words, making it easy to imagine what depression era-rural Kentucky was truly like. An empowering story of true friendship and what “womenhood” looked like in the mid 1900s.
  • A lovely story beautifully told

    5
    By ballin'94
    This book warmed my heart. I loved every word.
  • Beth

    5
    By Ricecho
    Absolutely the best book!!! I couldn’t put it down! I laughed and cried and loved these strong women fiercely!
  • One of the best books I’ve ever read!

    5
    By Jan ZZZ
    One of the best books I’ve ever ever read
  • So so

    3
    By ahill71
    I felt the book was interesting but some aspects a bit far fetched. A book as a murder weapon and the man had a gun?
  • Great read

    5
    By AZ Travelers
    Loved the story. Great ending. Women helping women.
  • Truly delightful

    5
    By sheskrafty
    This was a wonderful story of women working together as part of the WPA Packhorse Library program in the 1930’s in a small Kentucky mining town. The friendships and struggles they endured were moving and empowering. An entirely worthwhile read!
  • Unique and absolutely wonderful!

    5
    By relax&read
    I rarely give 5 star ratings but this book is refreshing and awesome! It is written so well that the reader feels like he or she is right alongside the characters in a true life journey through history. Highly recommend!
  • The giver of stars

    5
    By crutsie
    What a wonderfully amazing story of women and hard times
  • Kentucky mountain life

    4
    By Optntdr13
    This is an eye opener concerning the life in small town and countryside Kentucky.