The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes
The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes
139 Rating(s)
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.50

The Giver of Stars
Reese's Book Club (A Novel)

Bestseller

Author: Jojo Moyes

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Unabridged: 13 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 10/08/2019


Synopsis

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER |  A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
 
“A great narrative about personal strength and really captures how books bring communities together.” —Reese Witherspoon
 
From the author of the forthcoming Someone Else’s Shoes, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond in Depression-era America

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.

About Jojo Moyes

English author, Pauline Sara Jo (Jojo) Moyes was born in London, England, UK in 1969. She grew up in London, attended London schools and colleges, then had a career in various writing venues. She still writes articles for The Daily Telegraph, but her Romantic Novel career began in 2002, with her first book, Sheltering Rain. She has won the Romantic Novel of the Year award twice.

Moyes novel, Me Before You, was one of the novels that garnered her the award mentioned above. It has sold more than 8 million copies across the world. In June of 2016, after it was adapted to film, Me Before You was released starring Sam Claflin of The Hunger Games, and Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones. Jojo wrote the screenplay. The adaptation was written by Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter.

Jojo Moyes currently lives on a Saffron Walden, Essex farm with her husband, Charles Arthur (who is a journalist), and their three children.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on December 05, 2022

I don't want to read more plagiarism comments. Every book is unique and I truly loved this book which is one of my favorite reads of 2019! Period. I don’t have to give 5 billion stars to this book! I would donate the full galaxy system to the author if I could. (I already made a phone call and talked......more

Goodreads review by luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) on August 28, 2021

| | blog | tumblr | ko-fi | | 2.5 stars “She wasn’t really one for big groups, but she quite liked this, the jokes and the merriment, and the way that you could see actual friendships springing up around the room, like green shoots.” The Giver of Stars is a sweeping rural romance that tells a fi......more

Goodreads review by jessica on March 25, 2020

this story is a love letter to every person who understands the importance of literacy, of reading for both knowledge and entertainment, and the need for libraries. it is also a tribute to the resilience, independence, and compassion of women. both subjects are very dear to my heart, so this book fe......more

Goodreads review by Angela M on October 07, 2019

This is a wonderful tribute to how books can change people’s lives and to the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians, so of course I loved this book. I first heard of the Pack Horse Librarians when I read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. It’s a fascinating piece of history. This initiative was started b......more

Goodreads review by NickReads on March 16, 2020

5 stars “She just wasn’t sure she had yet been to the place she was homesick for.” okay okay okay so where do I start? Maybe with the fact that this book is freaking awesome and I really really liked it? Sounds about right. So The Giver of Stars is basically about a group of women who work in this mobi......more


Quotes

Praise for The Giver of Stars

“A captivating tale of love, friendship, and self-actualization.”
People

The Giver of Stars is a richly rewarding exploration of the depths of friendship, good men willing to stand up to bad and adult love. Moyes celebrates the power of reading in a terrific book that only reinforces that message.”    
USA Today

“Though she made her mark writing contemporary romance, Moyes proves just as adept at historical fiction. . . . The Giver of Stars is a celebration of love, but also of reading, of knowledge, of female friendship, of the beauty of our most rural corners, and our enduring American grit: the kind of true grit that can be found in the hills of Kentucky and on the pages of this inspiring book.”
The Washington Post

“Moyes paints an engrossing picture of life in rural America, and it's easy to root for the enterprising librarians.”
The New York Times Book Review

“Bestselling author Jojo Moyes has a unique way of using her prose to make her readers feel great emotions – love, passion, sadness, and grief – and her latest novel, The Giver of Stars– does not disappoint in that respect.” 
Parade

“Moyes stays true to her narrative and takes full advantage of the sense of place she gained from repeated trips to the area . . . riveting. A stirring novel sure to please Moyes’s many fans.”
Star Tribune

“An epic journey of friendship, danger, and literacy. . . an ideal read.”
theSkimm

“With characters so real they feel like dear friends and a compelling storyline, this is a beautiful, special novel. I loved it and didn’t want it to end!”   
Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies

“[A] dramatic, sweeping story. . . As well as creating wonderful strong characters, Jojo Moyes has an incredible eye for historical detail — I really felt as though I was riding over those Kentucky mountains with those women."
Sophie Kinsella for Bustle

“Timeless, Jojo Moyes's greatest work yet, and one of the most exquisitely-writtenand absolutely compulsorynovels about women ever told.” 
Lisa Taddeo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Women

“Epic in scope and fiercely feminist. . . an unforgettable story.” 
POPSUGAR

“Compelling. . . It’s an epic feminist adventure that candidly paints a community’s soul-searching with great humor, heartache, honesty, and love.”
The Christian Science Monitor

“Inspired by the history of the actual Pack Horse Librarians, Moyes depicts the courage and resourcefulness of these women in loving detail. The Giver of Stars is a tribute not just to the brave women who brought the light of knowledge in dark times, but also to the rejuvenating bond of women’s friendship.”
The Associated Press

“Moyes brings an often forgotten slice of history to life. . . the true power of the story is in the bonds between the women of the library. . . A love letter to the power of books and friendship.” 
Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 

“[An] homage to the power of reading and the strength of community. . . A must-read for women's fiction.” 
Booklist (starred review)

“An adventure story grounded in female competence and mutual support, and an obvious affection for the popular literature of the early twentieth century, give this Depression-era novel plenty of appeal. . . . There’s plenty of drama, but the reader’s lasting impression is one of love.” 
Publishers Weekly

“Rich in history, with well-developed characters and a strong sense of place, this book will fit well in any library’s fiction collection. For fans of Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants or Catherine Marshall’s Christy.” 
Library Journal (starred review)