Alice marries a handsome American and set off for a totally different life from that in England. However married life in a small Kentucky mining town is far from what she expected. A totally different novel from Jojo Moyes but still as well written and enthralling.

This story follows five women through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond as a part of a travelling library. Alice is English and has just married Bennett but is bored with her new life. Margery, who doesn’t care what people think of her and is fiercely independent which gets herself and all the other librarians into a lot of trouble.

A story of friendship throughout, I loved all the characters and I shall miss them all dearly. I left the last 5% of the book for as long as I could but unfortunately I couldn’t stop thinking about it so I knew I had to read on until the very end. Quite simply the best book I have read this year, if I could give it more than 5 stars then I would.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Penguin UK for this amazing ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just loved everything about this book and I read it in a day as I just couldn’t put it down. Fortunately I was on holiday and sitting by a pool so being so engrossed did not disrupt my everyday life!
I’ve read Jojo Moyes’s previous novels including the Me Before You trilogy and I’ve enjoyed them all in different ways but this was something else. A real departure for her as it is a historical novel set in the late 1930s in rural Kentucky.
Alice, a somewhat bored English rose, is swept off her feet by handsome American, Bennet and agrees to marry him and live in America.
However when they arrive in his home with his miserable and crotchety father,George Van Cleve,things do not go well and Alice becomes more and more miserable.
When the opportunity arises to be part of a mobile library service, delivering books to outlying mountain residents on horseback, Alice jumps at the chance.
This is the heart of the story as Alice meets the wonderfully independent Marjory O’Hare, a woman of few words who is organising the enterprise, Izzy and Beth as well as Sophia who repairs and organises the books.
As a librarian myself I found this story of horseback Librarians fascinating and even more so when I discovered it was based on historical fact. There really was a Library set up in Kentucky manned by women on horses which ensured that all the poor residents, who lived miles from town, had access to books.
Not only did I enjoy the historical aspect of the Giver Of Stars but I also loved all the strong female characters and the way they supported each other through thick and thin.
Jojo Moyes certainly knows how to tell a good story and make characters come alive. I felt that I was living in Baileyville and the horseback librarians were my close friends!
Each chapter was introduced by a literary or factual quote, often related to the content , written by an author popular in the 1930s. We had Anna Sewell (Black Beauty),, Gone with the Wind and Marie Stopes as well as quotes about Kentucky life and mining. Jojo Moyes has certainly done her homework.
This is a fabulous read- it has everything and I will certainly be recommending it to everyone I know.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Recently I was asked the question who is your go-to author? Whose books I'd read regardless of the subject and would know, without doubt, they were going to be completely satisfying. Well, my choice is Jojo Moyes - she gets it right EVERY SINGLE TIME. This woman is a genius and I adore her work. So I was doubly thrilled to find her newest book coming out soon (from my go-to publisher, to boot) and delighted to be able to read it before it's even released. It didn't disappoint in any way whatsoever.
Jojo Moyes writing is the epitome of top quality women's fiction and like her previous novels which have included the highly acclaimed Me Before You, The Giver of Stars cast me under its spell as soon as I turned the first page. It ticks ALL my boxes. In this historical setting, I discovered some wonderful characters to keep in my heart forever and some loathsome ones which infuriated me.
From the stifled mundane existence of middle England between the 2 World Wars, still a very misogynistic society, emerges our protagonist Alice, stifled and oppressed by her domineering parents and longing for a way to escape her humdrum life.
Her opportunity arrives in the form of handsome, clean-cut, all American boy Bennett Van Cleve, who, after a whirlwind courtship, proposes and she willingly follows her new husband to the other side of the world. Harbouring hopes and dreams of the Glossy New York Society gleaned from the movies, her hopes of dinner parties, cocktails and society are soon shattered by the reality of her new life. In rural Kentucky where many men are bullies and most women, downtrodden doormats, Alice has swapped a domineering and uncaring mother for a life in the household of an aggressive and bullying father in law and her dream husband turns out to be a fastidious wimp!
Alice already feels she is a constant disappointment, not just to her family back home in the UK but her new husband seems to rapidly grow disillusioned with his new wife and with no woman to ask about the more intimate side of her relationship, has no idea what is wrong and takes the blame and sense of failure firmly on her own shoulders.
Life in rural Kentucky where she now lives in stifled luxury as daughter in law of the local mine owner, proves as boring as the life she struggled so hard to leave. But when opportunity of a job which involves working with her beloved books, she seizes th eopprtunity to join a small team of mobile librarians in a new enterprise the mounted library service taking books to remote and outlying regions where families live in abject poverty, often in isolated shacks, where hunring and brewing moonshine is their only income. Regarded with suspicion and scorn by some clients as frequently as joy and delight by others they help to spread learning and literacy by supplying much more than mere books, they bring contact to the isolated and friendship to the lonely.
As the library service grows and Alice’s contribution to it begins to make her re-evalue her own worth, make friends and build her own confidence, her marriage still founders. Her fellow workers are a great bunch, especially Marjory, a briskly spoken, gun toting equestrian, from a renowned rough family, bordering on criminality whose name taints her own respectability.
It is heart-warming and lovely, a stunning story, perfect for any book lover (and which reader wouldn’t be?) filled with wonderful characters, diverse women and a few totally vile men. Based on a true story, focussing on friendship, loyalty, and reminding me as a woman how far we have come in so relatively few years, from days when women really were second class citizens with few if any rights.
From the pen of this author flows a tender and genuine story of hope an redemption and the power of books. A little bird tells me it may soon be a movie – I will be at the head of that queue too!

This week I'm reviewing Jojo Moyes' forthcoming novel, The Giver of Stars. I've long been a fan of Moyes' work, but I think this is my favourite novel of hers to date; if you're expecting classic Jojo Moyes then you're in for a bit of a shock.

Set in 1939 in Southern Kentucky, The Giver of Stars is the story of Alice Wright, who marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve and moves from a strict upper class life in England, to a very different life in the rural American South. Alice is looking forward to getting away from the claustrophobic repetitiveness of her life in England and embracing a new, glamorous life with her husband - but Baileyville, Kentucky, turns out to be equally stifling. Sharing a home not only with her husband but his aggressive father, too, it's not long before Alice is looking for something to get her out of the house during the day. But it's the 1930s, and Alice's opportunities beyond being a mother and housewife are limited - so when a plea is made for local women to join a new library enterprise, she jumps at the chance.

The WPA Packhorse Library deliver books of all kinds to rural families living in the mountains surrounding Baileyville, families who otherwise would have no access to reading material. Every day, Alice and fellow librarian, Margery O'Hare, set off to navigate the rocky mountainsides and deliver books, magazines, and newspapers to those living there. Margery is Alice's greatest friend in the novel - she's a woman who cares not one bit what anyone else thinks of her. She is unmarried, childless, can't cook, and lives in breeches and waterproofs, much to the disdain and outrage of Van Cleve Sr., who is constantly incensed by Margery's refusal to play by the rules and behave as a woman should.

As the library's prominence grows, the response from the Baileyville residents is mixed; some view the library as a positive addition to the town, while others eye it with suspicion, believing that the women are spreading unlawful, ungodly material. The events that are to unfold will change the course of Alice's life forever, as well as those around her.

I devoured this story. It's based on the real Packhorse Librarians who were based in Kentucky in the 30s, and I found the whole idea of this band of women delivering books on horseback completely amazing. They faced so much backlash from the community, and from those who felt that they were stepping out of line, but they soldiered on regardless. The library's headquarters in the centre of Baileyville is the heart of the town and of much of the novel's activity, and Margery, Alice, Beth, and Izzy's delivery of educational reading material to rural families sends an important message about empowering women through education.

I'd wholly recommend this novel to any current fans of Jojo Moyes and anyone who loves historical fiction. A story that is in turns heartbreaking and funny, The Giver of Stars is, for me, the best of Jojo Moyes, an extremely powerful exploration of female friendship and the opportunities afforded to us when we dare to break boundaries and let go of fear.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is released 3rd October 2019 by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A historical look at a true story of woman bringing learning , compassion , respect and books to their community . A little slow to start but once it did I thoroughly enjoyed this fab read ..

JoJo Moyes at her very very best yet. The story revolves around the group of women who set up a horseback library to deliver books to the outland and mountain regions. The story is based upon the fact that the Horseback libraries were established in Kentucky and the embroiled story that JoJo reveals really lets the reader feel that they are part of that town and its regions. I fell in love with the ladies who were all so different and all so understanding of people. The final twist was the touch of a true artiste.
Words to describe this fantastic book really fail me. Thank you so much NetGalley for letting me read this book..

I was keen to read this book as I had enjoyed Jojo Moyes' books Me Before You and After You. This book is quite different but just as enjoyable. It tells the story of five women who worked as horseback librarians in Kentucky during the 1930s and 40s, riding to deliver books to remote areas of the Appalachian Mountains, enabling many to have the chance to read. It was interesting to learn more about this unfamiliar (to me) history, and Jojo Moyes has created a compelling story based on these real-life events.
The book has something for everyone - action, mystery, romance -and some wonderful, memorable characters. Once I got into the book I just wanted to keep reading. I'd highly recommend this book!

This is the second book by Jojo Moyes that I have read and enjoyed this one as much as the last. The way Jojo structures the story makes you feel very invested in the outcome. This was a lovely story of a group of women, still oppressed and controlled by men, who find a way to fight back. Very sad in parts but with a brilliant conclusion. Loved it!!

This took me a little while to get into but from about 30% in I loved it. By that point I felt I'd started to get to know the characters and I really cared about what happened to them. I was racing through at the end to find out what happened. Despite the slow-ish start it's a really charming book.

An interesting novel about the horseback librarians of Kentucky. Jojo manages to write a lovely story whilst including lots a facts about these women. There are lots of very strong women with great characters who used to deliver books.magazines and comics to families in far reach places. It combines the harsh conditions with a great story. Highly recommended

Well, this was a pleasant change from the "Me Before You", "Me After You", "No Seriously, You First" series from this author – as nice as that was. An Englishwoman in the 1930s falls for an American hunk and thinks she's in for the life of Riley in the States when she marries him and goes back home with him, only to end up in Arse End, Kentucky with nothing to do. Failing at the domestic circle of yacking snobbish women gossiping endlessly over their quilting, she takes a new job as a rider for the mounted mobile library, and finds just her and a mule can make a difference to her route's inhabitants – and to herself.

This is winsome stuff, but once we'd had the maverick she was warned off becoming her best friend, and then a colleague with polio and a degree of lameness as a result, and then got to a coloured under-employed partner joining in, it seemed to be ticking too many boxes. Throughout the book had read not exactly hilariously, but as one where you could really see the way Hollywood actresses would nail the jokes and pratfalls – but how the story would also have made for an incessantly worthy film.

But that's without judging the whole piece, which is really good – and then some. Its elevator pitch, a sort of "Kentucky Literary and Fried Green Tomatoes Society, as written by Melvyn Bragg", would seem to indicate a well-researched and heart-felt first novel, but this is a fifteenth novel and is better for it. It covers so much by the end that it doesn't end up ticking boxes, but surely pleasing all-comers. If there were a modern equivalent to the mounted library, the muleteers would be packing this and sending it to most all of their customers. My partner and I are very, very different in our approach to reading – but this is a very rare book that I loved, and that she would too. We'd both have been grateful for it losing 50 pages, but you can seldom have everything – this is as close to five stars as makes no difference.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes worth five thought provoking stars. I honestly wasn’t sure about this one, I’m not a huge lover of historical fiction, but this is my favourite of the genre. This is based on true events but adds drama and tells us the story of the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky. I am sure this will become a best seller not just because of who wrote it, but because of the story that is told.

I wasn't sure how I'd get on with this book as not a great fan of historical fiction especially that set in America but I have to say that once I'd started to read then Jojo Moyes' writing carried me onwards and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the idea of strong women standing up to bigoted men even if a little too cliched in parts and slightly far fetched in others, it was a good story based against a background of the true grit of the Packhorse Librarians. The story line was a little slow to start but builds and certainly grips the reader as it progresses. I got thoroughly immersed and involved with the developing friendship between the central characters as one can't help but admire the real women whose work inspired this book. Well worth reading and learning about this little known period in history.

I purposely saved this latest JoJo Moyes book for my holiday having read only a few of her books before.

The story is set in 1930's in Kentucky where you have five women who become part of Mrs Rooselvelt Pack Horse library to help people in rural areas have access to books. I felt the story really focused on two of these women, Alice from England who married an American to escape her dreary life and Marge who is very stoic despite her family name reputation that precedes her.

The story weaves all five women's very different lives and how they come together to overcome various different adversities including racism, murder, violence, feminism, society. Looking at this list makes the story seem depressing but it isn't because of the author's canning ability to describe the beautiful setting and helps explains how life was in America back then.

I just loved this story and was rather sad when it came to the end. On reflection (I finished the book two days ago) there isn't much depth in the other women's stories however you are with them, understand them and rooting for them in this book. A very clever skill by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Astoundingly brilliant !!
Never having read a Jojo Moyes before and coming off the back of some great 5 star reads this book had a lot to live up to and oh boy it did it was a top quality read. I loved the whole concept of the story and the fact it was based on true events made it even more enjoyable plus the writing was superb transporting you to the wilderness and the harsh climate of Kentucky, facing all sorts of trials and tribulations and forging some wonderful friendships the stories of these 5 women librarians felt very real this made for a truly compulsive read.
It’s a wonderful and beautiful book it has so much, the friendships that grew between these women just made the book for me and I can highly recommend it as a 5 star read that really shouldn’t be missed.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another great outing from one of my favorite authors. Travel back to wild Kentucky for a lovely love story

Alice Wright can never seem to get things right and is a massive disappointment to her family. She is freed from the tedium of home life when American Bennett van Cleve sweeps her off her feet, proposing marriage and a new life in America. Once she arrives in the remote town of Baileyville, things don’t turn out to be as exciting as she imagined. She finds herself to be found wanting again and as she is seen as the interloper, has no friends. Alice finds escape from being stifled at home, when she signs up to be one of the new mobile librarians.

This is a truly stellar book from Jojo Moyes, she draws you into the story through the presentation of fantastic detail, making the reader truly emphasise with Alice, Margery and the rest of the library ladies which also means we also suffer with them when the road gets rocky. A very special story. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A brilliant epic historical drama set in the US Depression era in Kentucky and the Appalachians from Jojo Moyes that draws on real life actual history. Those who have been life long readers will understand the power of books and reading, Moyes focuses on just how important books can be in challenging and changing people and in shaping the world in this powerful telling of the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky. The English Alice Wright weds American Bennett Van Cleve on his European Tour to escape the limitations of her life. However, she is to rue her decision when she arrives in Baileyville, Kentucky and the realities and restrictions of small town living begin to sink in, made all the more unbearable by her father in law. She is to take the momentous step of volunteering for Eleanor Roosevelt's efforts to establish travelling libraries, despite opposition at home, delivering books to the impoverished, travelling great distances on horseback. Alice is to find adventure, great friendships, fulfillment, freedom, adversity, danger, resistance and suspicion as she embarks on a path that is set to change fundamentally her identity.

The woman leading the book initiative is the brave Margery O'Hare, the daughter of a bootlegger, strong, independent, unafraid, determined and defiant, and with whom Alice finds support and great friendship. Along with Beth, Izzy, and the black Sonia, the courageous women face the initial reluctance of families and women, only to be eventually welcomed and valued. However, men are afraid of losing control of women, and other powerful forces, such as mine owners, exploiting workers who labour in deplorable conditions for poor rewards, see them as a threat and danger to the established social, political and economic order. Increasing literacy, books and knowledge inevitably have consequences, making people question what is, expand horizons, fire the imagination, but change never comes easy, with the rise of implacable resistance, danger and tragedy that follows in its wake.

Moyes writes with passion and verve in this impeccably researched novel, full of details and rich descriptions of this historical era. The women are a disparate group of unconventional, stand out complex characters, that are well developed and who I invested in. This is a terrific read that immerses the reader in this period of US history and the norms, expectations and attitudes of the time, with the drama enhanced by the beautiful location with its wilderness. It touches on issues of racism, class, misogyny, exploitation, and hard lives, with a moving and heartwarming narrative that resonates with our contemporary world where the hard won rights of women can no longer be taken for granted. Additionally, it serves as a salutory reminder of just what an impact books can make to individuals and the the world, a world in which our libraries are being closed and under continual threat today. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

Baileyville, Kentucky, 1937, a small town with not much going on until a proposal for a town’s library. Not just any library, but a one that travels to its patrons in the form of horse, the Packhorse Library. There are five strong, very different women take part in the project. We see relationships form, tragedy occur, love blossom, loves fall apart, trickery and hatred. What can possibly be missing?

Alice Wright, a British well-educated lady. However, Alice was impulsive, and this always led to trouble. Bennett, an American, who is on a European Tour with his father meets Alice and they fall (or so it would seem) head over heels for each other. They are married in a matter of weeks and Alice heads to her new home, an adventure, to Kentucky. It is when they reach their final destination and start their married life, that Alice realises that she may have made a mistake in being so hasty, but then she meets Margery O’Hare.

Margery O’Hare, what a lady, afraid of no one, speaks her own mind and doesn’t care what people think of her. Although she has a history and a few of the townspeople don’t trust ‘her lot’ meaning her father, it doesn’t stop her from trying to do the right thing and bring the community together through the Packhorse Library.

This story is an epic tale based on true events, which always makes these types of books even more exceptional. Jojo Moyes has written this story with heart, capturing the essence of how five women; Alice, Margery, Izzy, Beth and Sophia, made a momentous difference to their town.

The main characters, Alice and Margery are thoroughly well written, as a reader you could feel the aching misery that they both suffer in parts of their own stories, you can feel the deep connections that they make as friends and above all how they stick together for the greater good.

Absolutely loved this and wouldn’t say no to seeing it on the big screen!!