Title: THE GIVER OF STARS
Expected publication: out now
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2
Book Description:
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.
My musings:
I don’t think I have ever read a book by Jojo Moyes that I
haven’t enjoyed, and this one was no exception! And as soon as I heard it was all
about books, and horseback librarians, I knew I had to read it.
Enter Kentucky in the 1930’s, those dark lean years during
the Depression. People work hard, and they are poor. Women are expected to stay
at home, raise children and run a households, whilst eking out a scarce living
with very little money to buy essentials. School is a luxury many simply can’t
afford, and there is a lot of illiteracy among the mountain folk (up to 31% of
all people in Eastern Kentucky couldn’t read, a huge number!). This is where
the horseback librarians come in. As part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s incentive to
improve literacy among the poor, these women are employed to deliver books to the
poorest and most outlying families scattered among the mountains. The terrain
is rough, the weather often hostile, and not all families welcome the intrusion.
And yet Margery, Alice, Beth and Izzy make their daily journey to spread the
love of books to everyone. For some families, it becomes the highlight of their
week, their escape from drudgery, their hope of a better future – the magic of
books.
Moyes’ historical novel focuses on the lives of her very
different protagonists, who initially have little in common but who will soon
be united through the travelling librarian scheme. I loved the descriptions of
the remote Appalachian mountains during the depression era, and felt like I was
there in spirit, riding alongside these brave women who feared little and who
stood out from the typical picture of the perfect wife at the time. Margery,
who is from a poor and abusive family background has never married and is not
afraid to forge her own path in life, caring little about what others think of
her. She is an unlikely friend for Alice, a young English woman who has recently
arrived as the new wife of Bennett Van Cleve, the son of the town’s wealthy but
ruthless mine owner. But Alice has problems of her own, and the librarian
scheme gives her the purpose she is so desperately lacking in her housewife
role. Then there is Izzy, crippled by polio, who finds that riding and
delivering books is one thing she can do despite her disability. Each woman has
an interesting background, and I soon warmed to each and every one of them,
invested in their fate.
It didn’t take long for THE GIVER OF STARS to steal my
heart, and soon I was laughing and crying and didn’t want to put the book down!
What can be better than a book about books, and the joy they can spread among
people? I loved hearing about the families living in the Appalachian mountains,
whose lives were changed by books, empowered by literacy. It warmed my heart!
Of course it wasn’t long until things started going wrong, and men started
feeling threatened by those strong, smart and brave females. Some drama ensued,
and by now well and truly invested in the story my emotions also ran high as
each woman must fight her own battle to remain true to herself.
I admit that I enjoyed the first ¾ of the book more than the
later part, in which the focus is more on drama and romance than the librarian
scheme and the atmospheric setting I had enjoyed so much earlier. Personally, I
would have preferred a bit more grit, which is a common gripe I have with
women’s fiction, which so often descends into melodrama at the end as it is
trying to tie everything up into neat little bows. But I’m sure that readers
who like a feel-good read and don’t mind some romance thrown in will most
likely disagree with me on that – it’s just not my thing. That said, my overall feeling was still one of
enjoyment and awe, and I immediately read up on the librarian scheme, which was
fascinating and inspiring, especially some of the old photos that came up in my
Google search. There are a lot of issues being explored through Moyes’
characters, which were mostly interesting, even though at times I felt that the
drums were being beaten a bit too loudly to get the many messages home.
Summary:
All in all, if you love books, plucky female leads and a
feel-good story, THE GIVER OF STARS should definitely be on your TBR list.
Moyes skilfully brings her characters and her atmospheric setting to life and
explores a fascinating chapter of American history that will warm every
booklover’s heart. My cold black soul would have loved to see a bit more grit
and controversy at the end, but this will present no problems for readers who
like things tied in a neat and pretty bow and walk away feeling that the world
overall is a good place where magic can still happen.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pamela Dorman Books for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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