Name: The Giver of Stars
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)
Author: Jojo Moyes

About this book

Summary
Book Club Questions

Book Summary

Set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond, from the author of Me Before You and The Peacock Emporium .

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 Horseback Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them--and to the men they love--becomes a classic drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. Though they face all kinds of dangers, they're committed to their job--bringing books to people who have never had any, sharing the gift of learning that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America's past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope. At times funny, at others heartbreaking, this is 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.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

While writing and researching The Giver of Stars, author Jojo Moyes visited Kentucky several times, stayed in a tiny cabin on the side of a mountain, rode horses along the trails, and met the people of Kentucky. Did the characters and sense of place feel authentic to you?
Alice, a Brit, is an outsider, but eventually acclimates to her new home in Appalachia, and even falls in love with her new home. She grew up in a rarefied world in England, so the change to "unremarkable" Baileyville proved quite the shock to her system. Have you ever moved to a distinctly different location? What was that transition like? How did you adapt?
Literacy and censorship are significant issues in The Giver of Stars, issues that affect the ...

Media Reviews

"Although Alice and Margery both have their own romances, the true power of the story is in the bonds between the women of the library. They may have different backgrounds, but their commitment to helping the people of Baileyville brings them together. A love letter to the power of books and friendship." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Rich in history, with well-developed characters and a strong sense of place, this book will fit well in any library's fiction collection. For fans of Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants or Catherine Marshall's Christy." - Library Journal (starred review)

"[A] homage to the power of reading and the strength of community... A must-read for women's fiction." - Booklist (starred review)

"An adventure story grounded in female competence and mutual support, and an obvious affection for the popular literature of the early 20th century, give this Depression-era novel plenty of appeal...There's plenty of drama, but the reader's lasting impression is one of love." - Publishers Weekly

"[A] dramatic, sweeping story...As well as creating wonderful strong characters, Jojo Moyes has an incredible eye for historical detail—I really felt as though I was riding over those Kentucky mountains with those women." - Sophie Kinsella for Bustle

"Epic in scope and fiercely feminist...an unforgettable story." - PopSugar

This information about The Giver of Stars was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own review

Cathryn Conroy

A Story of Redemption and New Beginnings, a Story of Justice and Hope: I Was Captivated!
Before I read this book for my book club, I was skeptical. The only other novel I have read by JoJo Moyes is "Me Before You" (also for my book club), and it was a sappy love story. This one is more historical fiction than love story, featuring engaging characters and a compelling plot.

Taking place deep in the Appalachian Mountains of rural Eastern Kentucky during the Great Depression, this is a story of redemption and new beginnings, a story of justice and hope, a story of love and passion. Alice is a young British woman who has never fit into the upper crust society, much to her parents' chagrin. When wealthy American Bennett Van Cleve and his father, Geoffrey, visit Surrey, England and meet Alice, both men know she will be the perfect wife for Bennett. Alice assumes she'll be living in a city and is disappointed when she finds out they are living in the mountains. The Van Cleves own the local coal mine, and the elder Mr. Van Cleve rules the mine, his workers, and his home with an iron fist. Alice is bored with nothing to do, no friends, and a husband who is cold in bed. Against the Van Cleves' wishes, she joins the fledgling packhorse librarians, which is based on the true WPA Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky that was instituted by then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and begins riding all over mountain and dale delivering books to isolated Kentucky residents. But not everyone is happy with the five women librarians as they are becoming a bit too independent. Alice and her fellow librarians have a series of adventures, but things pick up when something truly shocking happens to Margery O'Hare, the lead librarian. From then on, this book is unputdownable even if this last part of the story is rather predictable.

The colorful characters and the bold seasonal changes of this mountainous setting are so vividly described that I felt as if I had been plopped down into the fictional town of Baileyville, Kentucky. More than anything, this novel is about the power of books, the power of reading, and the power of women's friendships—all of which can change lives.

I was captivated by this book!

CarolT

Surprising
I was leery because some books are just over-praised, but this one deserves every one. Couldn't put it down.

Sandi W.

Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky
Surprise, surprise! This is an author that I have not liked in any past book - I have not even been able to finish any of her past books - regardless of all the high reviews she has been given.

However...

I have given this book 4 stars! I really did enjoy it. I felt it started out much like The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson which I had just read, and really liked, but once into the story it veered off into different territory, while still talking about the book women of Kentucky.

This story based on the true life beginning of the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky, tells not only that story, but is the story of hardships, spousal abuse, determination, sacrifice and ultimately love. It is the sisterhood in this story that carries it. Not taking into consideration the differences in race or social standing these women stood together and fought every battle, fought the town and fought the overly privileged men of that time.

The women are believable, the story is encouraging and the landscape presented is breath taking. Overall a really good novel.

Techeditor

Unpopular opinion: this didn’t wow me
Although it took about 100 pages before Jojo Moyes’ THE GIVER OF STARS was a story, in the end, I liked it. This is historical fiction about packhorse librarians in Depression-era Kentucky. Mainly, two stories are going on, both about particular librarians. Although the packhorse-librarian program was fact, I assume each of these stories is fiction. At least I can't find anything on the Internet about an English packhorse librarian in Kentucky or a packhorse librarian accused of murder.

As I read THE GIVER OF STARS, I was irritated that this is the third book my bookclub has read this year about librarians. And two of those books, one THE GIVER OF STARS and the other THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson, are both about packhorse librarians in Kentucky. As a matter of fact, while I was researching how much of THE GIVER OF STARS is true, I learned that Richardson accused Moyes of plagiarism.

At any rate, although I did enjoy THE GIVER OF STARS, I wasn’t wowed by it. The historical parts are fine, but some of the details in the librarians’ stories seemed implausible to me.

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Author Information

Biography
Books by this Author

Jojo Moyes Author Biography

Photo: Phillis Christopher

Jojo Moyes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, Still Me, Paris for One and Other Stories, After You, One Plus One, The Girl You Left Behind, Me Before You, The Last Letter from Your Lover, The Horse Dancer, Night Music, Silver Bay, The Ship of Brides, and The Peacock Emporium. Also a screenwriter, Jojo lives in London, England.

Author Interview
Link to Jojo Moyes's Website

Name Pronunciation
Jojo Moyes: moyz