The Giver of Stars was simply the most beautiful book and an extremely enjoyable read. Written by Jojo Moyes, it follows the story of five packhorse librarians in eastern Kentucky during the Great Depression.
Our primary heroine Alice moves from England to Baileyville, KY with her new American husband Bennett Van Cleve, hoping for an exciting new life. To her disappointment, she finds Baileyville just as stifling as her home in England, not to mention unearthing some serious problems within her marriage and discovering the true colors of her father-in-law, the king of a KY coal empire.
When Eleanor Roosevelt’s Pack Horse Librarian initiative comes to town, Alice is quick to jump on board. If you don’t know much about this program, which sent women into the 10,000 miles of mountainous eastern KY, I’d encourage you to read more about it; it really is fascinating. I did some of my own research:
- “Called “book ladies” and “packsaddle librarians,” the librarians were deputized during the New Deal, when FDR sought to end the Great Depression by creating hundreds of jobs addressed to the country’s real social, material, and cultural needs. In this case, the Pack Horse Librarians responded to what many of us might consider a crisis, if not a crime” (para. 4).
- Apparently, over 60% of KY residents had no access to a public library, and 30% were illiterate (para. 2 of the above linked article).
- “Libraries” were housed [in any] facility that would step up, from churches to post offices. Librarians manned these outposts, giving books to carriers who then climbed aboard their mules or horses, panniers loaded with books, and headed into the hills. They took their job as seriously as mail carriers and crossed streams in wintry conditions, feet frozen in the stirrups” (para. 5)
- “In 1936, packhorse librarians served 50,000 families, and, by 1937, 155 public schools. Children loved the program; many mountain schools didn’t have libraries, and since they were so far from public libraries, most students had never checked out a book” (para. 10 of the second article linked).
What an awesome program for the time.
It’s as a part of this initiative that Alice finds solace, purpose, and friendship. She gains autonomy and freedom from her claustrophobic marriage. She builds her confidence and develops a deep love for the beautiful land and its people.
Her most formidable ally is the head librarian, if you will, Margery O’Hare. O’Hare is a strong, capable heroine and leader. She stands up for those less fortunate and is not afraid to speak her mind. She is a safe space for her traveling librarians, including Alice and the other women (Sophia, Izzy, and Beth). The five girls develop a wonderful friendship and become fiercely protective of each other.
The plot centers on Alice’s growth; Margery’s independence, unconventional life, and values (which ruffles more than a few feathers in Baileyville); and the impact of the traveling library on the community.
I really loved this book; I devoured it in less than 24 hours. Moyes is a gifted storyteller. Her writing style is beautiful, eloquent, and still easy to read. The book is poignant and powerful. It captures the escape that reading is and the transforming power and influence of knowledge.
It’s a story that embraces the poor and the need, the unconventional and unlovely. While the people of Baileyville look down their noses at the “mountain people,” the librarians embrace them, get to know them, and bring them into a whole new world of knowledge. It was so emotional to read about lives changed (even though fictional) because we all know how transformative books can be. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “In reading great literature I become a thousand men and remain myself.” And these people living in the mountains of KY were exploring the simplest of things – recipes, quilting patterns – but it transported them into their own sliver of paradise where they could become someone else.
Not only do the women stand up for the outcasts, they stand together. Yes, they have a few arguments and don’t get along perfectly. But they’re not petty. I loved that there was no jealousy amongst the women. I feel like that can be rare to find. It tends to be a common cliche that they get jealous of each other or something (or there’s a love triangle… To my delight, there was none of that in this book).
This book represented everything good in good books to me. Well-written. Solid, creative plot. Exquisite descriptions (The Applachian mountains are just a character themselves!). Flawed but strong, lovable characters. A reasonable foe (Gosh, I just wanted to beat that dude over the head myself!). Growth for the characters. Good development and pacing for the story. And of course, a happy ending!
Please go read this book. It will draw you in. You will fall in love with Alice, Margery, and the rest of the group, and you will want nothing more than to see them happy. The Giver of Stars is definitely a new favorite of mine.
P.S. I read a book that this one is sometimes linked to called The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, and I really didn’t like it. I was bored and found it weird. Whether you liked it or didn’t like it, I would still encourage trying The Giver of Stars. It’s very different.
Jessica
Copyright Jojo Moyes and Pamela Dorman Books. Image from Amazon.com.
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