“Life is complicated. Which is why finding a little joy where you can is important.”
In 1930s Kentucky, a small group of women sign up to be traveling librarians as part of an initiative by the President’s wife. Alice has just recently moved to Kentucky after a whirlwind courtship that had her leaving England with a man she married after only a few weeks of knowing. Margery is the daughter of an abusive moonshiner and desires to keep her independence above all else. Izzy is a teenager who starts out feeling she’ll be handicapped due to polio, but learns to ride. They also hire Sophia, who worked at a colored library in Lousiville, to help keep them organized. Each woman brings with her strengths and weaknesses that make the library a target for some people in the town.
I have read a few JoJo Moyes books and have enjoyed them (Me Before You, After You, Still Me, Horse Dancer). The Giver of Stars is a friend’s book of the month for January and when I saw it available at my library for a 2-week checkout, I grabbed it. As a book lover, a story about librarians sounded right up my alley.
Alice is finding married life is nothing she expected it to be since her father-in-law lives with them and rooms right next to their bedroom. Alice gets no affection from her husband and her defiance to her father-in-law’s controlling attempts infuriates him. As the owner of the local coal mine, he’s used to getting his way. He has nothing good to say about Margery and starts working behind their backs to shut the library down. The girls keep at it as each house they visit can’t get enough of the books, magazines and comics they bring. However, when winter’s thaw reveals a dead man on their trail, the town cries for justice.
I enjoyed reading The Giver of Stars and finished it in just a few days. The characters come alive and the plot is very interesting. I honestly didn’t know much about the traveling library program in Kentucky and want to learn more about it now. Books have a way of changing lives and that is the theme of The Giver of Stars.
What books have had the most influence on your life? Share on the blog!