The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Synopsis:

When Alice Wright agrees to marry handsome American Bennett Van Cleve and leave behind her stifling life in England for a new adventure in Kentucky, she’s soon disenchanted by her newlywed status and overbearing father-in-law, owner of the local coal mine. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt's new travelling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, the smart-talking, self-sufficient daughter of a notorious local criminal, a woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. Alice finds Margery as bracing and courageous as anyone she's ever met--and comes to rely on her, especially as her marriage starts to fail. 

They will be joined by three diverse women and become known as the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky. 

What happens to these women--and to the men they love--becomes a classic drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. Though they face all kinds of dangers--from moonshiners to snakes, from mountains to floods--and social disapproval to boot. But they believe deeply in their work bringing books to people who had never had any, expanding horizons and arming them with facts that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America's past, the storytelling itself here is enthralling--the pages fly, and the book is unparalleled in its scope and its epic breadth. Funny, heartbreaking, and rewarding, it is a rich novel of women's friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

Review:

I absolutely love Jojo’s books. She picks a subject and just runs with it. You can always tell when an author completes a good research as it allows them to engage their readers with places and characters in their work. This is definitely the case of The Giver of Stars.

This novel is another direction of work for Jojo, completely different from her other bestsellers and she has excelled in it. It takes you on a journey through rough Kentucky wilderness, the hard life families had to contend with, the unfair treatment of women in days that are not that long ago. All the ladies in this book are brilliantly woven into the story of the Kentucky Horseback Library and, together with historical moments, bring together a novel that is educational as well as enjoyable.

Alice makes an unlikely friend in the librarian’s leader Margery and thanks to her, becomes the woman she was perhaps always meant to be. They all have to learn various things about themselves and the people around them and not always through pleasant ways, but they get down to it and they don’t let anyone stop them. These are great women, made strong through their past, their present and their social standing.

This book is empowering, inspiring and beautifully written and is a fantastic example of why Jojo Moyes is one of the best international authors of today.

Rating: 5/5

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US