I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in two evenings!
The WPA Packhorse Librarians were a dedicated group of women who battled not only severe weather conditions and rugged terrain to deliver library books to people during the Depression, but they battled public opinion as well. Many people felt that women were best suited to household duties, and that q group of working women threatened the moral order.
Ms. Moyes has crafted a beautiful story that combines historical detail with a delightful blend of fictional characters. Five stars!

The Giver of Stars is a wonderful book. It is one of the most compelling historical fiction books that I have read in a very long time. I learned so much about the sacrifices of those who believed in serving others through selfless generosity, sacrifice and the support of literacy. The courage of the pack horse librarians who put the lives, safety and comfort on the line to provide access to books and magazines and personal contact with others before their own well being is a tribute to librarians and educators everywhere. A glimpse of the poverty, hardscrabble lives and isolation in this part of Kentucky was eye opening and humbling. Thank you Jojo Moyes for writing this wonderful book.

I absolutely loved this book about librarians on horseback in rural Kentucky. Wonderful characters written so well I felt that I was in the mountains with them.

Between the author and the subject, I knew I would have to pick this title up. I was not disappointed by Moyes' latest at all! It's easy to want joy for all of the women in this story, but even easier to see the similarities between today and yesterday's men who would like to shut down the local library. If it isn't the Bible, the good women of their lives don't need to be reading it. Yet these women are strong and resilient creatures, fighting for sharing knowledge and information despite that.

This book is a nice reminder on how much impact being able to read can have on a community. It was fun to learn about how the packhorse libraries began and what it took to be able to make everything happen. I have tremendous respect for everyone involved in their growth.

This is, yet, another great read by Moyes. The storyline concerns Alice, an English woman, who hope to escape the boredom and apathy of her life, by marrying a wealthy American businessman, Bennett, who resides in Kentucky. The plot is based on Eleanor Roosevelt's WPA Program, which sought to provide reading materials to citizens in remote areas. The historic foundation for the story lent an authenticity to what followed.
There are elements of romance, suspense, virtue and determination that ring so true in all lives. Prejudice, women's rights, and right versus wrong are examined in the book, culminating in a stimulating ending that will keep the reader still guessing at its conclusion.

The Giver of Stars could quite possibly be my favorite book of 2019! I have always loved books and libraries so I really enjoyed learning about the packhorse librarians of Kentucky back in 1936-1943. Their dedication to getting books and magazines to the people in the Kentucky hills was just amazing. I totally fell in love with Alice, Margery, Beth, Sophia and Izzy. There was drama and romance plus some suspense towards the end. Sven and Fred were two great guys any woman would love to have. Once I got started with this book I found not stop until I found out what happened to each of these characters.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book. .

The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes is about a group of ladies in Eastern Kentucky during the time of the packhorse librarians in the late 1930s/early 1940s. Alice has recently arrived in Kentucky from England as the new wife of a well-respected man from the town. She's finding it hard to meet people and make friends so she's quick to join some other ladies who are forming a traveling library. Not all of the citizens are fans of this new library or the librarians and tensions rise. This tale blends an actual historical period of time with a high tension court case that will leave you spellbound.

What a pleasure to read a book on a topic that is close to my heart, told with drama and love. Based on the The WPA’s Horseback Librarian program which ran from 1936 to 1943, this story follows a group of brave women who endure physical and emotional hardships to bring books to the mountain folk of Kentucky. Focusing particularly on Alice, a sheltered bride who left England to gain independence from the conventions of British society, and Margery, a very unconventional woman who became a role model for Alice, this story plunges us into a world unlike that of most readers. Illiteracy, poverty, blood feuds, mine disasters, a strict male-dominated society, and the harsh beauty of the Kentucky mountains keep the reader thoroughly engaged. Add to that a courtroom drama that will have you on the edge of your seat, and you have a 5 star story from beginning to its very satisfying end. The power of books to change lives has never been more effectively or dramatically told. As I read this story, effortlessly downloaded to my e-reader, I salute those who had the determination to share this tool with those in need.

Wow, JoJo Moyes does it again. I flew through this book; I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with Moyes’ writing in her Me Before You trilogy, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. I felt like I was right along with them for the entirety of the story. I both enjoyed and appreciated the ending. It was perfect.

As a librarian, I enjoyed this book. We all know the history of books being delivered in rural regions by horseback but this author adds a storyline and characters that bring this time alive. The librarians are all different and diverse characters that keep your interest as you find out about their backgrounds, dreams, and strengths as they deal with their own families and the people on their delivery routes. For those who want a challenging read, this is not the book for you but if you are looking for an easy pleasant read, this book will meet your needs.

This was an enjoyable book about the pack-horse librarians in Kentucky during the depression era. Although it is not the only book on this topic published this year, the two books are different enough that both can be read. This book subject matter is more concerned on the relationship of the library with the town in which the library is established. Alice, a newly married British woman is adjusting to life in Kentucky, and clashes with her father-in-law, who is the mine owner and antagonist of the novel and the library.

This book didn’t have the rural, and poverty feel to it as one may expect. It felt more like town and middle class women. One of the things I loved about the book is seeing the growth of the woman librarians in the story.

Thank you NetGalley for chance to read this book! I grew to love these female characters doing this important job of delivering books and even reading with/to people. The women formed bonds with one another through their work. Such an important book to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

I was really excited to read this book, but I found the storyline to be unbelievable from too many sides. I almost feel like it was written to be a movie script -

I'm obviously in the minority here, but those are my true thoughts. I also had read an article that Moyes was accused of lifting plot lines from another book, so that may have affected my thoughts.

Alice doesn't fit in at home in England, for reasons that aren't entirely made clear, but also aren't terribly important. So when Bennett Van Cleve and his father come through her town on their European tour, she's more than ready to be swept off her feet and taken away from her boring life and hyper-critical parents. Unfortunately, she didn't look at a map to understand that Kentucky mining country is a far cry from cosmopolitan New York. Nor did she have enough to have any sense of her husband's character, and things quickly go downhill for her in America.

Fortunately, the WPA's packhorse library's need for librarians comes along to save her. The only things that anchors this book in the 20th century, the packhorse library really existed. "Librarians" took books into the hills and remote areas of Kentucky (and other places), and, at least in this book, brought the light of literature out to the boonies. Alice must contend with mistrust (not only is she not from the nearest small-town, she has an accent all the way from England), hazardous weather, and a bonehead husband. Fortunately, the promise of new friendships and happier times is on the horizon, if Alice can tough it out.

This may sound like a lightweight book, but it's actually not. Swirling around Alice are issues of poverty, illiteracy, prejudice, class injustice, and the unionization of coal miners. On a personal level, she must also deal with the nature of marriage and her obligations to her family. Moyes does an elegant job of illuminating all these issues while also writing realistic and relatable characters and situations. As a librarian, I was, of course, particularly taken with her discussions of the packhorse librarians and their goals of spreading literacy throughout the countryside. Her descriptions of how books changed the lives of the families in the hills serves as a timeless reminder of the importance of books and libraries to everyone.

Enjoyed the new book by Moyes. I felt it lacked her usual writing style and took a number of pages to engage with the book.

Alice Wright agreed to marry Bennett Van Cleve and then moved from her home in England to live with him in Kentucky. She is surprised to find her new home in the mountains doesn’t resemble her dreams of living in a metropolis like New York City. But Alice is determined to make the best of her new home. When an opportunity to be useful arises, she jumps at the chance. Now she will traverse the mountains, delivering books and magazines to isolated farms. It’s a far cry from her life of luxury with her wealthy parents.

Moyes has taken on a little-known story of American history by writing about the Horseback Librarians who were founded as part of the WPA (Works Project Administration). Alice and her fellow librarians are a colorful group who are bold, determined and dedicated to delivering the much-needed reading materials that families living outside the towns would never have access to. Alice’s need to have a purpose and her developing bond with the other outspoken women, is not acceptable to the small-town folk of the 1930’s. This is a portrait of the plight of American women, even after the 19th Amendment gave them legal rights. Changing mindsets is shown to be an effort that can have hazardous consequences. There are dangers on the road and there are hostilities in the town itself. Many resent the librarians for daring to be outspoken and for taking a stand.

This new book from the ever-popular Moyes will add to her reputation as a writer who engages readers with her moving tales of characters who are true to their values and convictions. This shift to a story of America’s history is beautifully rendered. The brave horseback librarians are memorable characters who are inspiring and fascinating. A powerful book that will entrance readers.

What a beautiful book!! This one is very different from JoJo Moyes’s other books, but as a Southerner, I can tell you that she gets the dialect, the characters, and the description of the Kentucky mountains exactly right. The book is based on an actual WPA project, where women rode in horses and mules to deliver books to people in the Eastern Kentucky mountains. Beautifully written, excellent character development-I did not want this book to end. Please read it!!

Interesting part of history. Really admire the librarians who went to such great lengths to get books into the hands of readers. This fictional story had some good characters but overall the plot was weak, especially the last quarter of the book.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is historical fiction at its very best! Set in 1939 Southern Kentucky, the lives of five strong female characters come together to form and operate the Packhorse Library, where they deliver by horseback, books, magazines and newspapers to those living in remote, rural areas.

One of the main characters, Alice, an Englishwoman, marries an American and is brought to Kentucky where she hopes to start a new, dazzling life with her husband. That is not to be the case. Alice finds living with her husband and her father-in-law to be stifling and oppressive. Alice gets involved in starting and operating the Packhorse Library with four other women and her life becomes fulfilled and has purpose. A murder is thrown into the mix, and the mystery aspect of the story keeps the reader guessing as to how the lives of the women will be affected.

Jojo Moyes’s past works of contemporary fiction (Me Before You, After You, Still Me) have been enjoyable reads for me. But The Giver of Stars is on another level and is my favorite novel of hers to date. The writing and development of the characters is phenomenal. The relationships that Moyes develops for each of her characters are deep and multi-faceted. This narrative will stay with you long after you have read the last page. If you are a lover of historical fiction, The Giver of Stars is for you. Additionally, it is a great novel for book groups as there is much content to discuss with many interesting characters and relationships.