I really enjoyed this latest from Jojo Moyes.

The fictional book centers on the very real group of women who offered library services on horseback throughout rural communities during the Depression. The story is centered on newlywed and very unhappy Alice, a transplant from England who is struggling to fit into the community and Marge, a longtime resident who is seen as an outsider.

The bond that forms between these women as they work to give the gift of reading to their community is just as real and satisfying as any of the romances in the book.

I found the mix of fiction with this interesting group of real women to be fascinating.

Thanks to the author, publisher and www.NetGalley.com for my ARC.

The story of the "Packhorse Librarians" in rural areas of Appalachia during the 1930s has always been of interest to me, so I jumped at the chance to read this book, and I was not disappointed. Rich in history, detail, and characters, this will not disappoint fans of realistic historical fiction. At first simple in plot and characterization, the layers of the story unfold, adding richness and texture to the end. I loved this book.

English-transplant Alice, rough-around-the-edges Margery, polio-victim Izzy, and farm girl Beth are drawn together by a WPA project intending to bring literacy to the poor mountain people in Kentucky by employing librarians to ride into the hills on horseback. In a community distrustful of women with opinions, the ladies are not always viewed in a positive light, and obstacles abound. This is a novel of richness, with themes of friendship, fulfillment, and a good love story to top it off.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, this was a very complete joy to read. I confess to the bias that led me to this book,,,I am a retired librarian who once considered a job driving a bookmobile in remote areas of Wisconsin. Although I never acted on that job posting, it has remained a fantasy of mine. This tale of the packhorse librarians of Kentucky that becomes a story of women’s friendship, repressive social norms, the value of books in people’s lives...this is a story to savor. Hoping the “major motion picture” promise will come true. Highly recommended. (Reviewed on Goodreads)

Well I guess as a librarian I might be a little biased but I loved this. Of course I’m a fan of anything that illustrates all the good that can come from a library, but I loved the characters and their stories as well. Wonderful book!

Wow! I've read several Jojo Moyes books before, but this one really stands out to me for its descriptions of the land and people of rural Kentucky. Any book with strong female protagonists is appealing to me, but I felt especially invested in them emotionally and rooted for them to prevail against the restrictive societal expectations they were facing . I enjoyed watching them grow over the course of the novel. and seeing their sisterhood develop despite all the obstacles they faced. This book made me proud to be a librarian and will stay with me for a long time to come!

I r eally enjoyed. This book is different from Moyes other books.
Nice to learn about this time in history.

As a longtime fan of Moyes, I was bummed when I didn't really like her last book, The Peacock Emporium. I was hoping to love The Giver of Stars -- and I did! Based on a true story of female librarians who rode around on horseback in rural Kentucky delivering books during the Depression. (The very first bookmobiles!) I loved the story, the characters and learned a little about history at the same time. Very enjoyable read.

This book could make a good companion to THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, in that they both focus on the Horseback Librarian program that existed in the United States in the 1930s. Here we follow some very brave women as they live their lives in a small Kentucky town during an era when women had very few rights. Alice, an English woman, has just married Bennett, a wealthy mine owner in the town. She is so bored with her new life that she volunteers to join the traveling library, during which she rides a horse through the mountains to distribute books and other reading materials to people living in the hills. Margery, who runs the library, is a smart, fiercely independent woman who doesn’t care what people think of her, an attitude that gets her, the library, and the other librarians, in a lot of trouble. The author skillfully depicts the very restricted lives of women in 1930s Kentucky, the power of friendship, and the magic that books can bring to anyone. I loved reading about this little-known piece of American history. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a preprint copy.

Another winner by Jojo Moyes! Fascinating look at a little known snippet of history, with strong female characterization and the flow of story that Moyes does so well. You'll find yourself getting a history lesson as well as a story, and cheer these women's moxie from start to finish!

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy. Jojo Moyes has created another very satisfying story, this time in a historical setting: the packhorse librarians of Kentucky in the late 1930s. Loved the characters with whom we journey into the Kentucky hills. Once again, the characters she creates are very real and endearing — often people I would like to know. I knew a little bit about this subject, but this book made it come alive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a librarian, I appreciated reading about the Packhorse Librarians standing up to naysayers who wanted to shut down their services. There is a lot going on in this book, including many "life events" and community conflict which I wish had been covered more deeply. I really loved this book and it has inspired me to read something else by the author. Thanks NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
#TheGiverOfStars #NetGalley

I am a huge fan of JoJo Moyes. This book is a little different than her other works and it is excellent.. I had the opportunity to hear Ms. Moyes talk about her experience when writing this book. The novel takes place in Applachia, Kentucky and it is a fictionalized version of a real event - librarians riding horse to deliver books to the mountain people. Ms. Moyes did a large amount of research and it shows. But for fans of Ms. Moyes' romantic novels, they will also love the relationships in this novel.

This is a wonderful book about women with different backgrounds come together to support each and other and their community.

An inspiring story of a rarely mentioned historical event in Kentucky's and America's history that had a significant impact on many Appalachian families and children in the thirties and forties. Kudos to the five brave women who continued to press forward to deliver books and reading materials on horseback to the illiterate and deprived who were starving for reading materials and knowledge. Jojo Moyes wrote an entertaining story incorporating romance and family relationships into the historical data.

I love when a book gives life and voice to an interesting historical fact, and that is exactly what this book does. Moyes takes the historical fact of pack horse librarians and gives these librarians lives and depth that readers can delve into. I would have liked to have some historical anecdotes at the end of the book to round it off but, since I read an egalley maybe that is in the plans for the actual book.

Another great story from JoJo Moyes! Such likable characters that pull you in and bring all the feels. As a librarian, I was drawn to the story line immediately. The bravery, heart, and dedication of the women who inspired this tale are remarkable. This is a lovely book.

I loved this book! I kept staying up too late at night to read "just one more chapter". The characters were fleshed out and the setting was well described. My only two complaints would be that the character of Mr. Van Cleve was just a little too over the top to be believed, but still, he created a good foil for the women. And second, that the end of the book seemed to wrap up so fast. There was so much build up of Margery's trial and of Alice's romance with Fred that when they were both resolved, I felt like I had missed a page or two. But otherwise, fantastic book and I will be recommending it to everyone I know!

JoJo Moyes tells the story of five women in the post-depression years who run a library that delivers books to people who live up in the mountainous areas of Eastern Kentucky. Each woman has their own story, and as they work together, they develop a support system among themselves. They also are able to overcome the resistance of some of their patrons to both books and women doing such a job. One of the women is set up on a murder charge by a rich and powerful citizen who doesn't like to be "bested" by a woman. The librarians help her find a way to getting her freedom back and gaining the respect of the townspeople.

Interesting story based on fact during the depression. Eleanor Roosevelt influenced the inception of many programs for the poor and under privileged in our country before, during and after WWII. One such program was the formation of a group of women librarians delivering books to the back woods of Kentucky. The main character, Alice Wright leaves her home in England to find a better life in America. She discovers that married life is not what she expected, her husband is overbearing and cold. This leads her to join four other women delivering library books, not only sharing books but companionship and opportunities for learning.

This story has action and romance and depicts a little known part of American history. It will appeal to a broad audience.