Book: The Giver of Stars
Author: Jojo Moyes
Pages: 400
Read on: Kindle
Read in: ~4.5 hours
Plot 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
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 Starsis 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.
Things I Liked:
1. I love historical fiction! There are few things better than reading about how things were in a certain part of the world in the past. So, obviously, I was drawn to this book when I saw that it was set in America (in rural Kentucky) in the late 1930s. I don't think I've ever read a book set in rural Kentucky and so, I was interested in learning about the values and culture of the place.
2. This is a story about a traveling library! What is not to love? It was so interesting to read about men's attitude towards a library run by women that encouraged other women in the community to read. Needless to say, the men in the village were not happy about the library at all! It was the sheer effort put in the women of the library, who rose large distances over difficult terrain to get books to women and children in far-flung farms and homes.
3. The key women characters in this book are just so wonderful! Margery is my absolute favourite! She is so gutsy, brave and principled. She lived on her own terms, which for a woman of that era was quite an act of rebellion. I also loved how she was the only one to support Alice when things go south for her.
4. Alice is also a wonderful character. She is totally adrift and a stranger-in-a-strange-land in Kentucky. She felt like a misfit in England and she feels like a misfit with her husband and overbearing father-in-law. Her journey is really lovely as well!
5. The story is heartwarming, heartbreaking, frustrating and inspiring in turns. It is a story about the power of stories, the power of education and, finally, the true power of sisterhood. The kind of book that is perfect for this time of the year.
Things I Didn't Like: Nothing. This is an amazing book!
Rating: 5/5
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