Book Review: The Giver of Stars

Well hi guys! I feel like I mentioned forever ago that I wanted to start book reviews on the blog. And then it took me quite awhile to finish my next book – ha! Funny how that worked out. I’ve thankfully had more time to read recently, finished one book, and already 1/3 of the way through another one – so I’m hoping this is the start of many good book reviews to come. 🙂

My book review today is on Jojo Moyes’s “The Giver of Stars.” Here is the summary written on Jojo Moyes’s website:

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. 

My rating: 4.5/5 stars

What did I love? I loved that this book has quite a bit of character development. I quite honestly didn’t love the main character (Alice) at first – but I think it’s set up that way, because this is quite the story for women and feminism. However, she grew with the story and that is important for me to really love a good book.

My favorite character in this book is the friend, Margery. She has a strong personality and gets it. This book is set in a time in rural Kentucky, where women were still ‘owned’ by their husband and racism was considered acceptable. I think this book would have been ultra hard for me to read if all of the characters went along with this way of life, but thankfully the point is for them to overcome these barriers and help others see their wrongdoings.

I loved that this is based on a true story… and Reese Witherspoon picked it up to hopefully produce as a movie someday! She would probably play a really good Margery ~ it would be like throwing her ‘The Morning Show” character back in time in Kentucky ha!

I love that there are horses in the book ~ while not the main focus, it certainly sat well with me!

This book is emotional. It will make you laugh. It will make you angry. It will make you cry. And that definitely creates a good book!

Why only 4.5 stars? I thought the book was a little slow at times. It started off quickly and ended quickly, but somewhere in the middle I got lost a little bit. Honestly it could have been because it took me so long to read also (due to my work schedule). I usually stick to books in the mystery/thriller category, so that possibly made it a little slower also. Either way, it was near perfect, and I love that it’s based on a true story!

I wouldn’t hesitate to pick this one up. And you will learn a little history along the way also!

I hope this was helpful for you ~ let me know if I need to go more in depth with the review. I hate to give any details away, so I try to stick to the basics. 🙂

-xoxo, Kecia

Amazon link to purchase this book.