The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is an exceptional and moving story that beautifully blends history, friendship, and resilience. Set in 1930s Kentucky, it follows a group of women known as the Pack Horse Librarians who defy the odds to bring books and education to remote communities. Moyes’ writing is vivid and immersive, making you feel deeply connected to the characters and their struggles. The bond between the women is inspiring, and the way the novel explores themes of independence, strength, and community is both powerful and heartwarming. It’s an uplifting and engaging read that leaves a lasting impression.

I love to read stories about Appalachia. I think this is an important read for people to understand the resilience of the Appalachian people. The author couldn't have written it better. Reading about the lady librarians of Kentucky was so interesting.

This was a great book. I liked the characters a lot and how they connected. I feel like a few books came out at the same time with the same topic and this is the one that stuck out to me because I love the author.

***I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

I greatly enjoyed this book, which follows the Packhorse Librarians in rural Kentucky during the Depression Era. What I loved about this book was the exploration of female friendship. The descriptions of poverty were heartbreaking. Ultimately, though, this is a story about strong women showing that they can persevere through anything.

I read this book a few years ago. Looking for something to occupy my time on a rainy weekend, I picked it up agian. It delighted me once again. Excellent!

I forgot to write a review when I read it. All I can remember is that I LOVED this book and recommended it to so many. Five stars.

I received a free ARC from NetGalleu in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy this particular subject of the pack librarians. I didn’t know a lot of about this period in history, but these fiction books have sparked an interest. I liked the citations from different books that the author used. I also liked the characters a lot. The story flowed well.

3.5

I did not read this title in a timely manner, but our library book club chose it this summer. It was a hit with everyone! We enjoyed the history of the packhorse librarians and we enjoyed the story. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was another of our selections (similar subject), but we liked this title better. We are recommending it to our other book clubs!

What a wonderful read. Truly a mix of Where the Crawdads Sing and Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek! The character development was fantastic and it had you laughing and crying and on the edge of your seat the whole time. Highly recommend!

The Giver of Stars is one of my favorite books about librarians. As a librarian, I was unaware of our history with the Pack Horse Library Project and Moyes paints a wonderful, realistic picture of these traveling librarians in Kentucky. The characters are realistic and authentic and the lush details in the setting bring the reader into the Pack Horse Library Project. I recommend The Giver of Stars to fans of Moyes' other works, and those who enjoy Kristan Hannah.

This was an excellent story and so different from Moyes' usual style. I purchased it for my High School Library and my students are really enjoying it.

This was a phenomenal book discussion book with many layers and timely topics. Would highly reccomend to book clubs mostly made of females who enjoy historical fiction with strong romances

As a librarian, this of course peaked my interest. I enjoyed the premise and the historical fiction aspect of it. It was more of a character driven book, so it wasn't a fast paced read for me. You get to spend some time in the setting and delve a little bit into the character's lives and personalities.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc for review. I decided not to finish this one, as it was not keeping my interest, but we will be ordering it for our library collection.

Jojo Moyes never disappoints. I will read everything she writes, always. I LOVED this book, learning about the packhorse librarians, and most of all, I loved all the women in this book. I have recommended this book far and wide.

I loved this unique historical fiction novel so much. I learned a lot about a time and subject matter which I had no previous knowledge. Amazing!

I haven’t met a JoJo Moyes book I haven’t liked. This was certainly different than her usual stories but just as engaging. I absolutely loved the main character and how her librarian duties made her grow as a person. The setting was well portrayed and realistic.

So many of us are familiar with the story of the librarians of the appalachian mountains, who rode for miles on horseback ( or mule) to get books to people who would otherwise have very little contact with the outside world. White The Giver of Stars is historical fiction, it is a fascinating look at the lives of people, especially women, in the appalachian region during the time of the great depression. As always, librarians are a resourceful lot, and the lengths these women went to to be able to keep their library and its services going was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it renewed my pride in my vocation as a Librarian.

The handsome and wealthy Bennett Van Cleve marries Alice Wright at the end of his European tour, which he has taken with his father, the overbearing owner of a Kentucky Coal mine. The marriage is off to a rocky start when the honeymooners are forced to share a stateroom on the return trip with the senior Van Cleve. Moyes touches on several social issues in The Giver of Stars: mining operations that destroy and pollute land and miners alike; the great economic and educational disparity between the rich and poor; racism; sexism and physical abuse of women. Woven through all this is the story of the brave Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky, who risk life and limb to deliver reading materials to the poor Appalachian hill people. Alice finds life in the small Baileyville, Kentucky stifling and her marriage a misery, but quickly discovers a purpose and friendship in serving the community by delivering books.
Highly recommended

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I really enjoyed it. If you can suspend your disbelief that the two main characters stumbled across two extremely progressive and open-minded men in a small mining town, the development of the relationships is very satisfying to read.