Ratings78
Average rating4
Read my full review here: https://ohsrslybooks.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/review-the-giver-of-stars-jojo-moyes/
Very strong novel and strong characters but lost its momentum at the 70% mark where the plot really slowed down to an almost snail-like pace. Everything then focused on a court case and once that was completed the other sub-plots were QUICKLY tied up despite them taking up the majority of the book.
It took me a little bit to get into this, but once I did, I just had to keep reading! I really enjoyed reading about the old library deliveries by pack horse or mule. The bonds the girls had with their horses/mules was sweet.
This is a historical fiction story about the Pack Horse Library Project that delivered books to remote villages in Kentucky during 1935-43. I really enjoyed the writing style of Jojo Moyes and thoroughly fell in love with the characters. The packsaddle women librarians in the story show courage, integrity, and sisterhood that we can all take inspiration from. Looking forward to the movie adaptation!
Well, I've found another favorite book. This story about the Packhorse librarians by Jojo Moyes is a moving read. I had never heard of the Packhorse library prior to reading this book, but now I am definitely intrigued and want to know more.
Moyes' writing is excellent in this book, making the reading effortless and enjoyable. She brings her characters to life in a way that makes the reader relate to and sympathize with them. In this story, she has created several strong female characters who defy social norms. Though they face adversity and suffer for some of their choices, they persevere and fight for the life they desire. I admire these characters.
The plot has enough action to be engaging and enough emotion to cause a reaction in the reader. The story itself is both heartbreaking at times and uplifting at others. I felt angry on behalf of the characters at several points in the story. I also felt thankful not to live in a time when women had so little power. Some historical fiction can be slow and tedious sometimes, but not this book. I never found myself bored or uninterested while reading.
My favorite theme in this book is the power of knowledge. The library spreads reading material to people who would not usually have access to it, especially young women. Through the efforts of the Packhorse librarians, people in these rural communities learn to read and to value knowledge. That knowledge assists them in their efforts to improve their lives.
Moyes' portrayal of the women of the Packhorse library will stay with me for a while. I love this book, and I highly recommend it to all readers, especially lovers of historical fiction.
This book gave me similar feelings as when I read Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens. Each of the the female characters, having their own specific struggles, show an incredible amount of individual strength. Nothing bothers me more than weak and unstructured female characters in books, making unrealistic decisions and relying on someone else to solve everything for them.
I love books about books. I feel like because reading books is my favorite hobby, I am most excited when they are an important feature in a story. I especially love all of the nods to the classics mentioned throughout. This book got me a little weepy a few times in a good way. The camaraderie between the librarians and the dedicated book readers was what did it. Also, the unexpected love that blooms for Alice with Fred and Margery with Virgina. Very different types of love, but romantic and beautiful just the same.
Historical fiction has been my favorite genre lately. I love learning about a life that I could never have dreamed of. Not surprisingly, I have a strong desire to get back into horseback riding after this.
Alice meets and marries Bennett Van Cleve, and before you know it, she is off to live in small-town Kentucky. She hasn't much to do there, and when women in the community are asked to help with a project to establish the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky, Alice volunteers. She soon finds good friends among the librarians, a comfort because her husband is distant and unavailable. Her best friend is Margery, an unconventional woman, who refuses to marry despite the appeal of her boyfriend of ten years.
There's lots more to the story, with mine problems and flooding problems and even a murder.
My favorite part, of course, was the storyline about the Packhorse Librarians.
Alice drove me nuts. I do not care for romance. This seems like Where the Crawdads Sings meets Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Sex and the City.
The historical background and the lovely setting were nice the best parts for me.
I just finished The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes, audio book and here are my musings.
I first heard about this book over the controversy. I am still waiting for the The Book woman of Troublesome creek hold from the library so I can't answer how similar the books are yet but here is what I have to say about this one.
When Alice marries Bennett and leaves England to start her new life with her American husband, she is full of hope. Getting away from her black sheep persona is a life saver but small town Kentucky living isn't what she was expecting and living in her father in laws home.... stifling.
With no babies to raise she joins the traveling library, all part of the first ladies plan to help educate rural citizens. Margaret, the leader of the group, is exactly the kind of friend she needed. As the ladies find strengths within themselves and their friendships grow, people start to realize that books can really change lives.
I really enjoyed how this book focused on the friendship of the librarians and the way they stepped out of their roles to be more than they should have been during this time. I loved the stark difference between the women and how they complemented each other in their differences.
I loved the romance in the book. It was so beautiful. The book is well researched and eloquently written. Books are precious to me so knowing there were real women who rode on horseback to get books to super rural places hit me in a special place. The joy the books brought to those families. The whole book was really enjoyable. I highly recommend this historical fiction to anyone who loves the genre.
4.5 stars
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Alice przeprowadza się z Anglii do nowego domu w Kentucky ze swoim nowo poślubionym mężem, Bennettem Van Cleve i jej teściem. Nie potrafi odnaleźć się w nowej rzeczywistości, czuję się samotna i wyobcowana w domu i wśród sąsiadów. Postanawia zostać podróżującą bibliotekarką pod przewodnictwem Margery O'Hare, miejscowej kobiety, która żyje na własnych warunkach.
Program biblioteczny staje się czymś, co wielu mieszkańców ceni, nie tylko dla książek, które przynoszą tak zwane konne bibliotekarki, ale również dla towarzystwa. Oczywiście nie wszyscy w okolicy akceptują zmiany, w tym ojciec Bennetta - nie lubi „pomysłów”, które te książki wkładają w głowy kobiet.
Książka Jojo Moyes to świetna opowieść o kobiecej sile, solidarności i przyjaźni. Bohaterki wspierają się nawzajem, walcząc ze schematami i społecznymi stereotypami. Mimo, że w książce pojawia się trochę romansu, to jednak przyjaźń kobiet to motyw, który naprawdę błyszczy. Dodatkowo, jest to książka o miłości do książki i dzieleniu się nią z innymi – czego więcej chcieć.
„Światło w środku nocy” to fascynująca książka oparta na prawdziwej historii. Eleanor Roosevelt naprawdę rozpoczęła program bibliotek, a odważne kobiety w latach 1935 - 1943 podróżowały konno, aby dostarczyć książki osobom mieszkającym w najdalszych zakątkach.
Dziękuję @bookmaania, która zorganizowała booktour, za możliwość poznanaia fantastycznej historii, która zostaje na długo.
„Nie ma nic groźniejszego niż kobieta uzbrojona w odrobinę wiedzy. Nawet jeśli ma tylko dwanaście lat.”
Holy cow! Why haven't I read this author before? What a great read! Living back in those days, as a woman, must have been unbearable with the many restrictions and unrealistic propriety expected.
The ladies of the traveling library are amazing. Their strength and friendship held my heart throughout the book. One could only hope for friends like these. I cried alongside Marge during her hardships and successes. I equally cried alongside Alice. Despite being a foreigner, living in a cold and unloving marriage, she manages to forge a love for the land, people, and herself. Beth, Izzy, Sophia, Kathleen and Mrs. Brady were the solid foundation that held the library and the friends together.
This one will be with me for a while. ❤️❤️
I have to say, I love JoJo Moyes and I love her ability to tell stories. The depth and truth to her stories? It lacks. Let me explain: the Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Richardson was immensely researched and beautifully raw. Do I think JoJo “stole” this book from kim? (See the buzzfeed drama) the answer is no. They are 2 different branches of the same tree that have grown differently and endured different lives. Do I think that it's questionable that this exact book, with its very original content and unique niche story location/historical plot came out a mere 5 months after the Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek? Yeah, I do. I have my reservations. I feel as though they should be read as a pair (Bookwoman first), so you get all of the good detail before a “spin-off” (giver of stars). Loved them both.
I really enjoyed this book. Started listening, but had to switch to reading so I could see what happened faster. Now I'm sad it over. Satisfying love story. Good history. Strong women characters. Funny moments. A couple very sad parts.