The Giver of Stars: A Novel

The Giver of Stars is a gorgeously-written book set in Kentucky in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The book starts off with a vivid scene in which Margery O’Hare is accosted by a local drunk. From there the reader learns why Margery was where she was and why she had a book in her bag. The story is about a group of women who ride on muleback and horseback to deliver library books to people who may otherwise not come to visit the library. There is Alice Van Cleve, a newlywed newcomer to town, Sophia, a colored girl who works in the library labeling the books, fixing them, and checking them in and out, Izzy, and Beth.

This book had so many good parts in it that they are hard to name individually. The families that these women helped and the looks on the little ones’ faces as they received new books and learned to read lept off the page as I was reading. The scene with Margery comes back to haunt us, and the girls gather together to figure out how to solve the problem.

Full of ups and downs, this book made me laugh and cry. Knowing that the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky was a real group of women made this book an even better read. Fantastic in all ways. A must-read for fans of Jojo Moyes, historical fiction, and books about books, horses, and love.