The Giver of Stars
The spellbinding love story from the author of the global phenomenon Me Before You
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4.5 • 564 Ratings
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- £6.99
Publisher Description
THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER AND REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK
'Wildly romantic' DAILY MAIL
'Epic' DAVID NICHOLLS
'Delightful' THE TIMES
'Beautiful' LIANE MORIARTY
A spellbinding story of love, community and friendship from the author of the international bestselling phenomenon Me Before You and The Last Letter from Your Lover, now a major motion picture
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FRIENDSHIP FREED HER. BUT WILL IT SAVE HER?
In 1937, dusty Baileyville, Kentucky is no place for a woman.
For newly-arrived English rose Alice Wright, whose father-in-law has the town sown up, the atmosphere is stifling and she is desperate to escape.
Which leads her to Margery O’Hare and her small band of horsewomen taking books and learning to isolated homesteads. Who else will rescue the vulnerable from poverty and ignorance?
But this brazen act of female defiance – of emancipation – cannot go unpunished, especially by Baileyville’s men.
Alice and Margery and the other horseback librarians must find the courage to stand together.
Can they show this divided town the value of love, friendship and community?
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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
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Great stories are about the journey, not the destination and that’s certainly the case for this compelling novel inspired by the true story of the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky. A Western is a dynamic new direction for Jojo Moyes, but one that shows bold, emotive writing will flourish in all settings. As we follow the five heroines on their gruelling mission to deliver books across the most remote and dangerous parts of the Bluegrass State, we were captivated by our diverse and complex protagonists. Most of all, leader Margery O’Hare, whose fierce commitment to her female friendships radiates from the page. Moyes impressively immerses us into the wildness of Kentucky during the Great Depression but her historical fiction reminds us of an important lesson for today’s world—that the gift of learning should always remain free for all.
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
Heart warming
Such a good book about love in all its forms. Could not stop readding!
Could not put it down
It was different but could not put it down.
Fabulous
Compulsive reading , I loved every page of this magnificent novel about love and friendship, and of American history (which I knew little about before but it’s so well researched that I was left wanting to learn more) .