Reviews

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

katlizlove's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this book. It was good the entire time, but the last bit sucked me in and filled my soul. There were tears and laughs and the feeling of being intimately understood.

paris_nicole's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was a great story about the packhorse librarians of Kentucky. The story follows Alice, a British woman who married a local mine operator's son. To occupy her time, she joined the newly established packhorse library, along with a handful of other women. She learns to ride horses through the tough terrain and forges strong friendships with her fellow librarians. Some locals, influenced by the shady mine owner, attemp to shut down the library. Its future becomes uncertain when a local is found dead and murder is suspected. 

I listened to the audiobook and Julia Whelan was delightful as always. 

melinha91's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

lmsumrell's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

nyzerman's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

I did not know what to expect before I read this book - a colleague had recommended it but had not filled me with any details but I trusted her judgement.  I was blown away - the writing was captivating, the descriptions were vivid and I felt as though I was there with the characters, and oooh - the characters - I loved the portrayal of the strong female characters who were the librarians, determined to get books and reading material out to the rural Kentuckians. They were flawed, layered and complex and they defied societal expectations and I found myself rooting for them (especially against misogyny and capitalist greed.  Also, "go librarians!!") and I loved the dialogue and that though they were friends, they also fought and argued with one another in a way that felt real.  Moyes also writes in a way that is captivating and engaging and kept me on my toes, and I felt myself turning each page, wanting to know what happens next.  I felt that the ending was satisfying and this was a wonderful read from beginning to end.

ruth24's review against another edition

5.0

As historical fiction, [b:The Giver of Stars|43925876|The Giver of Stars|Jojo Moyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572879113l/43925876._SX50_.jpg|68351635] is quite different from Moyes' previous books, the most well-known of which is her series that begins with [b:Me Before You|17347634|Me Before You (Me Before You, #1)|Jojo Moyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387003413l/17347634._SY75_.jpg|17763198]. Moyes writes amazing characters that I fall in love with and romantic relationships that I can't help but become attached to.

[b:The Giver of Stars|43925876|The Giver of Stars|Jojo Moyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572879113l/43925876._SX50_.jpg|68351635] follows a group of women who run a Packhorse Library in rural Kentucky, delivering books on horseback to families living in the mountains. Some members of the town love the library as it brings them new recipes, parenting advice, and the opportunity to learn to read, or else relieve the boredom of the long winters. Others in the community are threatened by the library, partly because they feel it's an inappropriate job for women and partly because they fear the spreading of certain types of 'scandalous' information. Set in Depression-era America, the poeple in Baileyville, Kentucky have ideas about what is and is not appropriate behaviour for women and is overrun with other issues like blood feuds, alcoholism, poverty, poor working conditions, distrust of 'outsiders', gossiping neighbours and racism.

I wasn't sure what to expect at first, but [b:The Giver of Stars|43925876|The Giver of Stars|Jojo Moyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572879113l/43925876._SX50_.jpg|68351635] was well worth the read for me, particularly as a story about a group of strong women fighting back against societal ideas of how they should behave. You might enjoy this book if you liked the spunky women in [b:Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows|32075853|Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows|Balli Kaur Jaswal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493817315l/32075853._SY75_.jpg|51725836] or the beauty of the wilderness in [b:Where the Crawdads Sing|36809135|Where the Crawdads Sing|Delia Owens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524102644l/36809135._SY75_.jpg|58589364].

dotreadsbooks's review against another edition

5.0

Amazing! What an incredible story of love, friendship, heartbreak and hope. Each character was unique and developed. The true backstory of the traveling library riders was an excellent backdrop for this depression era story. This will make a great movie!

gailcarroll's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

kpetroll's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Read this via audio and paperback (good narration that I would listen to past passages to hear the characters voices). Great historical fiction book and it’s hard to believe that it’s the same author as Me Before You. I didn’t care for that book but loved this one! The Giver of Stars made me want to shout, cry, cheer and laugh. The characters were strong, independent and stood up for each other. I highly recommend this book.

“There is always a way out of a situation. Might be ugly. Might leave you feeling like the earth had gone and shifted under your feet. But there is always a way around.”

mnmeg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0