The Giver of Stars
The spellbinding love story from the author of the global phenomenon Me Before You
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4.4 • 442 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER
A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK
The spellbinding story of love, community and the power of reading from the bestselling author of Me Before You
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THE GREATEST LOVE STORY IS THE ONE YOU LEAST EXPECT . . .
Alice Wright doesn't love her new American husband.
Nor her domineering father-in-law or the judgmental townsfolk of Baileyville, Kentucky.
Stifled and misunderstood, she yearns for escape and finds it in defiant Margery O'Hare and the sisterhood bringing books to the isolated and vulnerable.
But when her father-in-law and the town turn against them, Alice fears the freedom, friendship and the new love she's found will be lost . . .
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'A beguiling tale of unlikely love. The most appealing thing is Moyes' wonderful way with romance. Delightful' The Times
'Beautiful, special . . . with characters so real they feel like dear friends. I loved it and didn't want it to end!' Liane Moriarty
'Inspiring and wildly romantic' Daily Mail, Books of the Year
'Her best book yet. It's a romance - but about female friends, the outdoors and the magic of reading' Grazia
'Epic' David Nicholls, bestselling author of One Day
Jojo Moyes, Sunday Times bestseller, August 2023
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An adventure story grounded in female competence and mutual support, and an obvious affection for the popular literature of the early 20th century, give this Depression-era novel plenty of appeal. Alice Wright escapes her stifling English family by marrying an American, but this choice leads to further misery in the rural Kentucky household of her unaffectionate husband and his domineering father, the owner of the local coal mine. She finds respite in riding with the women of the new WPA-sponsored horseback library. She's sustained by her friendships with the other women, especially the brash, self-sufficient Margery O'Hare, and the appreciation of the isolated families she serves. But powerful men in Baileyville oppose the library, as it employs a black woman, influences women and children's minds with fiction, encourages previously illiterate families to defend their rights against encroaching mining companies, and teaches women about intimacy through a secret copy of Married Love. Moyes (Still Me) stereotypes her antagonists a bit, but provides tremendous warmth among the librarians and centers their perspectives thoroughly. There's plenty of drama, but the reader's lasting impression is one of love.
Customer Reviews
Loved it
Great story, very well written. Couldn’t put it down.
The giver of stars
I loved this book.
I could hardly put the book down .
The Giver of Stars
Second best read of 2020! I wasn’t sure I would like this when I started it, so different to other books by Jojo Moyes, but once the scene changed to Kentucky I was hooked. The disappointment of her marriage and the moving from one claustrophobic environment to another half way across the world is the catalyst for Alice to “do something”, anything to get her out of the house and away from her tyrannical father in law and rather gormless husband.
When the call goes out for women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s travelling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. She becomes part of a team
a travelling horsewomen who become known as the Packhorse Library.
What happens to these 5 intrepid women - and to the men they love - becomes an unforgettable adventure of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women are committed to their job of bringing books to people who have never had access to them, and refuse to be cowed by men or convention. They face all kinds of dangers but despite hell or high water they are determined to stick to their job. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, true love and what happens when we reach for the stars.