Based on the actual WPA Pack Horse Library project, this book focuses on 5 women from various backgrounds, who volunteer to be pack horse librarians, delivering reading materials throughout rural Kentucky on horseback. This was a good read about strong women who faced not only physical hardship, but also had to overcome social obstacles (racism, misogyny, poverty) in order to achieve happiness.
I had previously only read this author’s Me Before You, and wasn’t sure how she would tackle historical fiction, but was impressed with her research…which combined with her multi-dimensional characters makes this book a great recommendation for those who like books by Kristen Hannah.
(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review)

This is a book for book lovers. Historical fiction, horses, books, well developed characters with a fantastic storyline! What else could you ask for in a book?

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jojo Moyes has written many novels that I have loved. There, of course, was the trio of books that began with Me Before You. I also enjoyed The Last Letter From Your Lover and Silver Bay, among others.

I was interested in reading The Giver of Stars but hesitated for a while. The reason was that I had recently read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and I knew that the books covered similar territory (literally in terms of geography and also in concept). I am glad to report that both novels are well worth a reader’s time.

Each of these historical novels is premised on the love of books and ways to make books available to readers. In this one, readers follow Alice. She was born in England and has married an American. Her life is not exactly what she was hoping for so, when Eleanor Roosevelt is looking for women to distribute books, she is eager to rise to the challenge.

Over the course of the novel Alice and her new female friends learn a lot about one another and how they want to live their lives. Follow along with them and enjoy this latest novel by one of our best writers of women’s fiction.

My only quibble with this book is that it is so similar to Troublesome Creek. For that reason, readers may want to spend time with just one of these titles.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

What a great book. I really enjoyed the friendships between the librarians and the story overall.

There were a few characters that weren’t as fleshed out even though they pretty big secondary characters.

Definitely more about the women than the library.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is my absolute favorite book by Jojo Moyes. She drew me into this historical fiction novel where I became very attached to the characters, plot, and setting. This may be Moyes' best work yet. Thanks for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.5 stars

I’ve seen that historical fiction about librarians is a trending genre (?!). I’m glad I read this, but I don’t feel like I need to explore the topic further.
This story was really well-executed. There were a few bits that were slow for me, but they didn’t last long. I was pleasantly surprised by the composition, meaning that the first scene not only engaged the reader, but also looped back to be one of the most important plot points later in the story, of course.

It took me way too long to read The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, and now that I've read it, I regret wasting so much time. This book follows a group of feisty librarians who ride through rural Kentucky on horseback and fight back against injustice in their close-knit community. I found this book to be a fun read that left me entertained and inspired.

I loved this book and it’s unique, historical topic. Intriguing characters and setting! JoJo Moyes is always bringing the goods!

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this The Giver of Stars. To be even more honest, I didn't even bother reading the summary and therefore figured, incorrectly, this was simply another contemporary romance novel by Jojo Moyes. It just proved that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover nor an author solely by past work. The Giver of Stars is one of the best historical fiction books I've read in years. The storyline was unique, well thought-out, and included a little known piece of United States history: programs of the New Deal era, especially the WPA.

The Work Progress Administration's Packhorse Library of Kentucky provided books to thousands of rural residents between 1935 and 1943. As part of this incredible program, championed by Eleanor Roosevelt, women rode horseback for miles and miles in unbelievably harsh conditions over rough terrain to provide reading materials and education to the most remote rural inhabitants of Kentucky.

The history was interesting but the story was beautiful. I honestly don’t know who’s relationship I loved more: Alice and Fred's or Margery and Sven's. They were both so caring and loved each other so freely and openly exactly for who they were with no concern for others' expectations. It's rare to find a love like that, especially in rural, 1930s Kentucky, it seems. At no point did the story feel too contrived nor did the characters feel unrealistic. This is one I will be recommending to others for a long time!

As a history teacher, I especially love reading historical fiction because I feel that I learn so much each time, especially personal stories and how historical events impact everyday people. I've taught about the WPA and New Deal programs for years but had never heard of the packhorse library. This makes me want to continue researching other interesting, and largely unheard of, programs of the New Deal era.

A brilliant epic historical drama set in the US Depression era in Kentucky and the Appalachians from Jojo Moyes that draws on real life actual history. So far, I've only read Jojo Moyes romance stories, which i enjoy, but she has really outdone herself with this historical tale

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is a lovely piece of women's fiction based on the Depression era librarians on horseback in Kentucky. A WPA project spearheaded by Eleanor Roosevelt and supported by her husband, women on horseback took reading material out into the hills: children's books, literature, magazines of all types, and newspapers. For many of these hill people, the librarians were their only contact with civilization and provided much more than the service for which they were paid. This book is about five of those librarians but is also about the culture in which they lived, where ignorance and prejudice reigned supreme. Alice met and married Bennett Van Cleve in England while he and his father were on a grand tour. She thought she was in love, but apparently was more in love with escaping her family. The small mining town in Kentucky was not what she expected and her new life was worse than her old. Eventually she volunteered for the librarian project, much to the dismay of her husband and her father-in-law and for the first time was independent. She met life-long friends and found her own voice, eventually building a life for herself.

The story was good, but the characters were so endearing, so real, that they were the books. There were a variety of them: the educated black woman; the independent, life-life-as-I-choose woman; the handicapped, over-protected woman; The cigarette-smoking, hard-living woman; and Alice, the naive woman who eventually stood up for herself and others. The overwhelming ignorance of people allowed them to be manipulated by the greed of their "overlords." Even literate ones learned they had to follow at least some of the rules of those around them. This was an exceptional book, one worth a read, and probably a reread. Moyes has brought a piece of history alive in such a compelling manner that a reader could not possibly walk away from it unchanged. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Giver of Stars by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thegiverofstars

Set in the 1930's - 40's we follow a group of librarians who are determined to get the community the books they need. They do this by riding horseback to all the patrons of the town. Margery is the leader/ head of the library telling the girls what to do and where to go. She keeps everything in check. Young Alice is new to America from England when she marries Bennett Van Cleve. This books isn't just about librarians back in the day it involves scandal and heartship as well. Jojo Moyes is known in the Romantic genre, but this Historical Fiction shows how divers Moyes can be.

I was sincerely looking forward to reading this book. I have read one other Jojo Moyes book and enjoyed it, and I've heard great things about this book. However, I have tried and tried to get into it and I cannot. I'm hoping it's because this is a review copy, but it is missing letters and sometimes whole words in sentences making it impossible to get a flow while reading. I have to stop once or twice per page at least to try and decifer what the intended sentence is and it is so disrupting to the reading that I can't get lost in the story.

Sometimes a great book will resonate with you so deep, you'll clutch it to your chest and silently weep with its characters.
Children today might not grasp the true "magic" of the public library system. If the local library doesn't have a book they want, it will be transferred from one location to the other. It's so simple. During the Great Depression, books were not easily shared. In rural communities, many children had never held a book. Their unlikely heroes were women on horseback, traveling through the mountains to bring books to their doorstep. These women were known as The Packhorse Librarians.

The Giver of Stars is the telling of several strong-willed women who choose to work as Packhorse Librarians in a time where women are still expected to keep their place in the home. Alice, a leading lady in this story, volunteered despite the protests of her husband and father-in-law. Alice was brought to the small town by her new husband whom she meet overseas in her hometown. Women of the town were not welcoming to the "foreign-girl" with the funny accent. Joining the library seemed like the only way she'd be able to experience any sense of freedom.

"Well behaved women seldom make history" - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Margery is the strong-willed local whom leads the new library program. Margery is not well liked in town either which is part of how the two women bond. Having grown up under an abusive drunk, Margery is often judged for the actions of her long-gone father. Rather than be discouraged, Margery stares into the eyes of those who judge her. Margery's character is very inspiring throughout the story, and is key to helping Alice realize her own potential.

The Giver of Stars portrays how easily society could be held back simply by denying access to literacy.
Prior to the Packhorse Library, the small town of Baileyville was much more bleak. People who had little outside of long work days and the threat of hunger, now had stories. Children who learned to read could read aloud to their parents. Adults could escape their pain in a new and positive way.

Jojo Moyes is phenomenal at keeping readers invested in her characters. You're slowly woven into their choices, into their development throughout the pages, that you become part of their experiences. You'll feel the sting of injustice and the overwhelming desire to whack Alice's father-in-law upside his head. Alice, Margery, and the rest of the Packhorse Librarians do a tremendous amount of good for their town well beyond their delivery of books.

The Giver of Stars is a story of holding strong against those trying to break you. It is truly a stunning read.

Jojo Moyes always provides the reader with an enjoyable experience thanks to excellent writing, interesting plots, and well developed characters. This book was no exception and the strong women characters supporting each other versus being rivals was a great change from other books.

I read this book as an advanced reader copy on net galley as a kindle edition. Overall I enjoyed the story and the characters were portrayed in a relatable manner. With the book being historical fiction there is some leeway given in portraying the attitudes and feelings of the time period. If it was written in present day tense it would be really hard to sympathize or relate to a lot of the characters as many have huge character flaws that you remind yourself of the time period and it being located in Kentucky. The town has a wide range of racism that is shown through the feelings and sentiments of the poor, moonshine families, those that live near the mines, uneducated, Sophia a black well educated woman, the expectations put on women and how the librarians are starting to slowly unravel and work through fighting societal norms. I absolutely detested both of the Van Cleve men and give kudos to the author for portraying and calling them out for the many indiscretions. The book had a satisfying end giving the many characters the closure they needed and deserved.

This dramatic account of the WPA Packhorse Library that was "manned" by a group of determined, driven, strong young women left me wanting to join their team. The teamwork demonstrated throughout the book as the group forms and begins to deliver library books to their neighbors. Through several events the librarians pull together and help each other while helping the community around them. You will hold your breath several times throughout the book but jump for joy at the outcome! A great read!!

Alice is a young English woman who has moved to the United States after a whirlwind romance with Bennet Van Cleve, the son of a Kentucky coal baron. However, once they arrive in Kentucky, she learns that Bennet has been less than completely honest about where they will be living, and their lifestyle. Instead of living in their own home in the city of Lexington, she finds herself in a very small town in rural Kentucky, living in the home and under the thumb of Bennet's father, Geoff. Alice is treated with hostility and suspicion by the locals, including the family's housekeeper, and worse, she realizes that Bennet is not the man she thought he was, and she can neither love nor respect him.

In order to find something to occupy herself and an excuse to get away from the oppressive Bennet household, Alice finds herself unexpectedly volunteering for the new pack horse library project, to deliver books to the even more rural families in the hills and hollows that are not accessible by car. Here, Alice feels she has a purpose, makes close friends with the other librarians, and finds the strength to stand up for herself and forge a new life.

This is also the story of Margery, the leader of the small group of librarians, who has dared to defy convention and lives life on her own terms, and to hell with what anyone else thinks. She is fiercely independent, and having survived a horribly abusive father, isn't afraid of anything anymore. However, in befriending Alice and undermining the planned coal mine expansion, she has made herself the enemy of the ruthless, powerful, and well-connected Geoff Van Cleve, who makes it his mission to destroy her.

In order to give context to my review, let me note that I am a Kentucky native, grew up in a rural area with pockets of severe poverty, lived below the poverty line at times, my mother's family lives in the Appalachian hills, and I am a librarian.

This was a very enjoyable read, with romance, drama, action, and strong women fighting for their independence and survival. While it has been compared to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, they are two very different stories, despite the publicized similarities and claims of plagiarism. I read both books in one weekend in order to compare, and I honestly don't see how anyone who has actually read both books can say they are similar. There are some somewhat similar things that occur in each, than when taken out of context may seem a bit questionable, but when both works are compared as a whole, it seems clear to me that they are often not nearly as similar as purported, purely coincidental, and/or not surprising since both books have the same setting and are framed about the pack horse librarian project.

(1) Both books show a librarian being accosted by men while on their remote delivery routes.

-This is not surprising since there was a great deal of mistrust of the library program at first, women are often accosted by men, and the reasons were completely different between the two books.

(2) Both books have an October wedding --- Big surprise. First of all, people who depend on the land to survive are busy with planting, harvesting, canning, etc, etc. during the summer and early fall, so would not be the ideal time, and was not a tradition until recently. Secondly, they're in the mountains, and fall would be the most beautiful season and have the most comfortable temperatures, so it makes sense. And, coincidence.

(3) Each of the couples getting married have a 3 month old baby already

--One is by adoption, one was born out of wedlock. Again, I say coincidence and not surprising. Marriage and a baby are extremely common themes in historical fiction and especially in historical romance. No surprise at all in either story.

(4) The couples in both books receive a quilt as a wedding gift.

--Duh. That was the custom of the time. All couple received a wedding quilt. It would be surprising if that wasn't in either book.

(5) Both books have African-American librarians. --- And??? So what. They are actually fairly different characters that play different roles in the stories. They just both happen to be black and be librarians.

Way too much has been made of the few similarities, considering how very different the two books are. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a very authentic, real portrayal of Appalachia, and is truly *about* the hardships and poverty of the people that lived in the most rural parts of eastern Kentucky, as seen thru they eyes of one of their own. It portrays much more detail of their lives, and of the life of a pack horse librarian, and shows how thoroughly the subject was researched. It also depicts discrimination and prejudice more prominently and in more detail. It is a very moving, somewhat depressing, but also inspiring book.

The Giver of Stars is much more of a typical historical romance, with a bit of feminism thrown in. It focuses on life in the small town, with small town gossip and politics. It is about two women who just happen to be pack horse librarians; it is not really about *being* a pack horse librarian, and it is about the librarians and others in the town, rather than being about the rural people they served. It barely touches on the poverty of the area, and by reading it, you would never know it was set during the Great Depression. There is no mention of people being hungry, not having enough food, literally starving to death. While I still thoroughly enjoyed reading The Giver of Stars, it is very clear it is not written by someone who truly knows Kentucky, or knows the culture and history of Appalachia, and it does not have the same authenticity that The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek does, being written by a Kentucky native who spent much more time doing research and really understands that region and its history, rather than just using it as a quaint and interesting backdrop for a fairly typical romance.

I enjoyed both books for different reasons, and would recommend people read either, or both. Though they have a superficial similarity, they are very different books and should not be seen as competing with each other, or one copying the other. If you want an entertaining romance/drama with strong, independent women, read Giver of Stars. If you want a more authentic glimpse of Appalachian history that is a survival story of a single strong, independent woman. or want to be inspired as a librarian, read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.. Or read both!

I"m having a hard time reviewing this book as I'm part way through and I'm not sure why but I just cannot get into it. I have really liked Jojo Moyes previous books but maybe my frame of mind just is not ready to read a historical fiction. When I am really into a book I'll ignore all chores and laundry and sometimes children, so while reading this and I've stopped to go clean my kitchen and play bokugan/pokemon/all other games the boys want me to play then I know I'm just not loving it. I'll maybe give this book another try some other time but for now I've got to just put it down and walk away for long while.

This novel, like Moyes’ others, made me feel a lot of things deeply. The characters are written beautifully and the premise - a group of women who start a library (via horseback) in rural Kentucky, to encourage people to read - is attention grabbing and thoughtful, as well as being based on a true story.

I’m usually not one for historical fiction, but I enjoyed this book, though there were some slower parts that took me a while to get through.