The Giver of Stars

From the author of Me Before You, set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond.

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 Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them – and to the men they love – becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity, and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: Bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic – 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.

• The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
• Published by: Penguin Audio on October 8, 2019
• Genre: Historical fiction, Romance
• Listening length: 13 hours 52 minutes
• Dates listened: 6.3.25 – 6.10.25 (8 days)
• Format: Audiobook
• Narrator: Julia Whelan
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• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (1/2)
• 🌶🌶

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I only recently (last year) got into audiobooks. Many moons ago, when audiobooks first became more popular, a majority of them were abridged. For those that don’t know what that means, it means that they would shorten the book, leaving out some details in order to fit a specific length for the audio. Mind you, this was back in the days of cassette tapes, and later CDs. No one wanted to be carrying around 12 cassette tapes or taking up 6-10 CD sleeves in their CD organizer, just for an audiobook! So they made abridged versions. Missing out on parts of a book, however insignificant they may be, was pretty much blasphemy to me. Nope! I will not do it! Soooo, I never got into audiobooks. But today is 2025, and with the advancement of technology, we can have audio streamed for hours upon hours upon hours, all at the touch of our little fingers from our phones. Now I think pretty much all audiobooks are unabridged, meaning they are recorded in the entirety of the novel, and many even include full productions with sound effects and multiple actors to play the narrator roles.

I still 100% prefer to actually read a book. When I listen to an audiobook, I’m always doing something else at the same time. Driving, taking a shower, walking the dogs, etc., so my attention is never completely on the book, the way that it is when I actually read it. This is both a pro and a con. Convenient, yes! But I tend not to always remember an audiobook the way that I will if I had actually read the book. Anyways, I’m rambling. So when I am trying to choose an audiobook, I have many books that are on my TBR list, and I really look forward to reading them, and I want to give them my full focus, so I don’t want to do the audiobook version of them. So when I search for an audiobook, I typically go to my local library app, select audiobooks, available now, and mindlessly scroll through the list of books until one grabs my attention, and away I go to listening.

This book grabbed my attention because it was a Reese’s Book Club pick. And unlike Oprah’s Book Club, I’ve always enjoyed the books that Reese picks. I had no prior knowledge of the Packhorse Librarians from the Great Depression, who delivered books to people in rural areas. Being a book lover myself, the blurb about this book had my interest piqued. While this book is based on historical facts about the Packhorse Librarians, it was more a story about women’s courage, their friendships, their hardships, and how fiercely they can love.

I adored every single woman in this book! There are two main female characters and four minor ones that we get to know during the book. Each one of them has their own reasons for joining the library, with their own struggles in their personal lives. I thought that Moyes did an excellent job of interweaving their individual stories into the main plots of the book. In this way, I felt really connected to them all. There’s rebellious Alice from England, who married a rich American, hoping for a more exciting life, only to find that Kentucky and marriage aren’t all that she thought they would be, and she struggles to find her purpose in life. There’s Margery, who grew up in Kentucky at the hands of an abusive, moonshine-producing father that everyone in town hates. Shadowed by her father’s reputation and living in a time when women were considered property, she’s determined to live life by her own terms. Then we have shy Izzy, crippled from Polio, who loves to sing but hates the way that everyone looks at her because of her disability. Beth, a wild tomboy who has no problems doing what she wants, when she wants. Sophia, the only black woman in the group, who lost the love of her life because of the color of his skin, who is hesitant about working in a “white library,” but nevertheless, is drawn to the group of women and the purpose they serve. And finally, we have Kathleen, a lonely widow with children, who agrees to help them to repay the kindness that Alice and Margery showed her.

I worked it out sitting here. Maybe that’s the thing we need to understand, Alice. That some things are a gift, even if you don’t get to keep them. – pg. 309

I felt that each woman’s personal struggles were relatable, and the friendships that blossomed between them were heartwarming. Bare in mind, that this book’s setting is in the 1930’s, so there is a lot of misogynistic bullshit that goes on in it. But I think that only helps make the women in this story, and the men who have their backs, shine. I don’t want to give away too much of the book or spoil anything about what happens. Just know that there is death/murder, false accusations, family drama, and political/financial greed. Spoiler/Triggers: the book does have a HEA, and I loved how the author tied up all the loose ends, and gives us a conclusion to each woman’s story. As previously stated, there is quite a lot of misogyny, maltreatment of women, physical abuse, racism, and sadly, even the death of a pet. All spicy stuff is closed-door and clean.

After listening to The Giver of Stars, I discovered that there has been some controversy over the book. The book was released in October 2019; however, apparently, there was another book released earlier that year that was very similar. I have not read that book, so I personally can’t speak to any of the similarities. Perhaps I will eventually read it, so I can see for myself. Based on reviews that I read, people’s opinions are a bit mixed. Regardless, the author of the first book attempted to sue Jojo Moyes for plagiarism, but it never amounted to anything, as neither publishing company found enough evidence for the claim. But opinions are like assholes, as they say, and Moyes has received quite a bit of hate, with people shaking their fists and vowing to “never read another one of her books again!!” Here’s my asshole of an opinion…anytime you write a historical fiction book that is based in part, on something factual, such as the case with this book and the traveling librarians, there are going to be similarities. Those similarities don’t make it plagiarism. But since I haven’t read the other book, I can’t compare and really give much of an opinion on it. I still stand by that this was a great book and very well written. If I ever get around to reading the other one, then I can write an update and give an actual opinion. 🙂