This is Jojo Moyes at her absolute best. Warm and likeable female characters, a fascinating location and era, laughter and tears. I was hooked from page one.
This is going to be a big hit with fans and new readers. And what a fabulous film it would make. (Please make it someone!)
I can’t recommend #TheGiverofStars enough. I loved it and didn’t want to go to work as it meant I had to put it down.
There is no doubt that my book club, The Gloucestershire Lit Lovers and Yummy Scrummy Pudding Club, will be reading this next month (we are the self-appointed unofficial Jojo fan club). I can’t wait to talk about it with them.
Thank you so much to @jojomoyes #Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book.

I have enjoyed a lot of the author's other books, but this one didn't really hit the mark for me. The pace was very slow and in places it was a study of life at the time, which was interesting in itself, but doesn't add up to a compelling storyline. The story flitted between the characters which broke up the possibility for tension. I'm sure it will appeal to a lot of other people though, just not for me.

Very different to the fantastic "me before you". Set in 1930s America about a group of women who set up a mobile library. We learn more about their backgrounds as the story progresses. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but then I couldn't out the book down.

I absolutely loved this book! I have very fond memories of going out on the mobile library van when I worked in our local public library. The vans were driven by firemen, either part time or retired. I ended up working in school libraries for over 20 years so it's a distant memory now but it was a lovely part of the job.
I also had a horse for 17 years so the thought of riding into the hills laden down with books for isolated families is my idea of a dream job! I appreciate that the reality would not have been the romantic ideal I picture but even so........
I haven't been to Kentucky but Jo Jo paints a very vivid picture of its beauty.
I liked everything about this book, the characters, the plot, the setting and I was also impressed that the author dies not shy away from the grim details of life for women at this time.
My first book by Jo Jo Moyes but it won't be my last.
My thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for this copy.

I requested this as soon as it popped up on my emails from Netgalley, as I’d seen JoJo talking about it on twitter ( and the cover was so pretty and sparkly) but really no had idea what it was about. I then read the synopsis and felt a little disappointed as it’s not really my favourite era / setting to read about. But then I started reading, and WOW! Hands down the easiest 5 star rating I have given. Loved every page… every character… the location…. I feel like I have been privileged to go on this amazing journey with these remarkable young ladies. Makes me want to go and give all my friends a big hug and shout out to everyone how brilliant they are.

I really do hope that my book club pick “The Giver of Stars” as one of our reads. I would happily read it again and we would have a fabulous discussion as there are so many layers and dimensions to this story. 100% recommending this to everyone, I almost feel sorry for those who don’t read it.

I'm a huge Jojo Moyes fan and therefore couldn't wait to read her latest release. This is definitely a big departure from her previous novels; whilst Me Before You and the subsequent books in that series packs a real emotional punch, The Giver of Stars steps back a little from making the reader properly ugly-cry (...just me?), and instead takes the reader back in time to 1930s Eastern Kentucky.

I love the premise of this novel. It focuses on the real-life Horseback Librarians which operated during the depression era to deliver books and magazines to rural familes who wouldn't otherwise have access to them, despite much opposition to such a scheme in the conservative Southern state. This is so interesting and definitely something I'd now like to read more about - what a fantastic topic Jojo Moyes has picked to write about! I can see why she felt so compelled to tell this story, and am surprised (as she says in her author's note that she was) that no one else has written about it, as it's such a great, inspiring piece of history that certainly should be shouted about more.

The main characters, including protagonist Alice, are hugely likeable and I enjoyed following their journey into setting up and making the scheme such a success (though not without complications!)

I have to say, I found some parts of the novel a little twee and cheesy at times, something I'm perhaps overly sensitive to (I do tend to go for a gritty read above others). I never felt this way about her previous novels despite them having a more overtly romantic storyline, so I'm not exactly sure why I feel like this,.

Despite this, I still really enjoyed reading The Giver of Stars, and following the character's journeys as they changed and progressed despite the oppressive community they lived in. It's interesting to remind ourselves of how controlled and judged women's lives were back then - though of course this sadly isn't a defunct issue today - as sexism was just so rife during that time. The women's rebellions - no matter how small - made me cheer as I read this novel and that left me with a smile on my face, so I would recommend this novel for an enjoyable, sweet read.

I loved this book! It's not my usual genre but I was a big fan of the Louisa Clarke series so thought I'd give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. It's historical fiction set in 1930s Kentucky, and explores the relationships that form between five women from very different backgrounds as they fight to develop a Packhorse Library.
Now I must admit, to me this did not sound a particularly exciting story, but it's amazing how quickly I was drawn into the lives of these women. In their own way each character is strong, brave, and determined to overcome the restrictions placed on them in their society due to their gender, race and family heritage.
The story is sad, funny, and uplifting, and so beautifully written. For such a long book it flowed perfectly and I finished it much sooner than I thought. It was one of those books that I'd find myself thinking about during the day and couldn't wait to get back too. It was easy to imagine yourself on the Kentucky mountains working away with these wonderful women!

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. I was really looking forward to this book as I’ve loved Jojo’s other ones. When I started it I was a little wrong-footed at the subject matter but boy did the plot develop. Great characterisation with the library horsewomen and a terrific insight into the mores of the time, with Alice failing to “fit” anywhere. Harsh parenting and brutal misogyny and prejudice. How fabulous to see Izzy blossom and a great mix of pathos and uplifting friendship with Margery and the other girls. I loved the book and loved how Fred and Sven modelled how true relationships should be. Fantastic job Jojo!

3 stars

I am a big lover of JoJo Moyes and so when I saw she was bringing out a new book I was super excited but sadly after reading it, I feel bit let down.

Firstly let me tell you about the book. It is based in Depression-era America and is based on a true story. It is NOT a romance but a historical fiction that holds some big triggers including domestic abuse and violence toward humans and animals.
Our leading lady is Alice, English and bored of her life - she meets an American and marries him and moves to a small town in Kentucky. Life doesn't turn out the way she hoped but she finds herself joining a new library scheme run by Margery, a feminist before her time who takes no nonsense from men (or anyone!). Margery runs the scheme and Alice quickly signs up. The story follows her on her daily travels to different houses and the people she meets along the way.
I liked many of the female characters, I thought they were unique and interesting and loved seeing how they worked together when each of them were so different.
I liked seeing Alice grow through the book and the feminist aspect was also wonderful.

Despite all this, the story fell flat for me. I felt too long was spent building up the story and then the ending felt incredibly rushed. Sadly at times I felt rather bored and even considered DNFing at 25%. I am glad I continued as it did pick up a bit and I dod like many parts.
I seem to be in the minority for this review and I guess it is personal opinion but it was way too slow paced for me.

Trigger warning: There is one scene of domestic abuse that had me shocked and feeling physically sick. If you struggle with these issues, I would not read this book.

Thank you to netgalley for providing this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It is a light, easy read that zips along. It is a fictionalised/imagined account of women working for a Pack horse library service that was set up by Eleanor Roosevely in the 1930's to help promote literacy in hard to reach places. The women who service the trails must have been amazing. In the story, a posh young English woman who has rashly married a handsome American whist he was visiting London, but whom she hardly knows moves with him to the small town of Baileyville, Kentucky. They live with his alcoholic, bible bashing widowed father and find they have little in common added to which her husband is asexual. Alice, therefore jumps at the chance to joinn the fledgling library service and the narrative follows Alice and the four other women who also sign up through the trials and tribulations of their relationships and the dangers of their work. I had to keep reminding myself that thestory was set in the 1930's and not the Victorian age, as Baileyville certainly felt from that era.. The narrative is a little predictable but it carries the reader along nicely. This is the first JoJo Moyles book I've read so can't compare it to her other works. I can see it will be very popular.

A stunning novel. Set in Kentucky with strong, opinionated women fighting their corner in a society and time where women needed to be seen and not heard. The descriptions of the area were mesmerising and at times I had to draw a breath before proceeding. The characters were perfectly drawn. Although the ending was perhaps slightly too slick.

For fans of The Secret River by Kate Grenville.

A movie in the making.

This was very different to previous novels by the author and had a very different feel to it. It would certainly appeal to those who enjoy more historical reads, and it was extremely well written. It was interesting and the characters were likeable.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
This is a historical novel based on the lives of the women of the Pack Horse Library Project which delivered books to remote regions in the Appalachian Mountains between 1935 and 1943. It provided a lifeline to those people isolated in remote cabins and brought the outside world to their doors. It is a testament to the power of books to influence people and is a reminder of how important it is that we maintain a library service in these days of cutbacks and closures.
The story revolves around a group of very different women who come together to struggle through all sorts of terrains and weathers in order to bring books to the poor people of East Kentucky. There is Alice, newly arrived from England with her good looking American husband Bennett. Living with his father places constraints upon their relationship and so she signs up to ride with the horseback librarians. Then there is Margery, daughter of a hard drinking moonshiner, who does not conform with any man’s idea of how a woman should behave. She is fiercely independent, unafraid to challenge long held beliefs and ready to stand up for what she believes in.
When Alice first encounters Margery she finds her quiet and solitary but they gradually build a strong friendship. Along with Beth, Izzy, a polio sufferer, and Sophie, the black librarian she makes a success of the library and builds a new life for herself. The story deals with racism, misogyny, the terrible treatment of the working man and the despair of the Depression but it is ultimately uplifting.
I loved this book and was desperate to find out what happened to this feisty band of women. I have read many books by Jojo Moyes but I would have to say this is now my favourite. I will be recommending it to all my different book groups and I am extremely grateful to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read it in return for an honest review.

This book wouldn’t normally have appealed to me but I have loved many of Jojo Moyes books in the past so I thought I would give it a go and I am glad I did. I found it really quite interesting to read about the mounted librarians. It was a very character driven story, extremely well written so I found myself drawn in to the lives of these ladies, willing them on and hoping for a happy ending. I would recommend the Giver of Stars to anyone, even if it isn’t their type of story.

The Giver of Stars is a historical fiction novel featuring true events that took place in Kentucky in late 30s and early 40s when a group of young women got employed by a US government scheme to go into the mountains on horses and take books to families who might not otherwise get a chance to read.

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Giver of Stars. I did enjoy the author's Me Before You but didn't feel the need to carry on with the two follow up books. Some stories are better left alone. The Giver of Stars is a completely different kind of book and I have to say, the first few chapters were just ok for me... But then something clicked and I started really enjoying the story and getting to know the two main female characters, the English bride Alice and the stubborn troublemaker Margery. The Giver of Stars is a riveting story of extraordinary, courageous and determined women and highlights the importance of books in people's lives. If you enjoy historical fiction from early 20th century, I'd say definitely give this one a go!

A real treat of a read.

The factual premise of the Packhorse Library project (that ran from 1936 to 1943 and provided more than 100,000 residents living in rural locations with library books. A programme run solely by women, the likes of which has never been attempted before or since) gave the backbone to this book.

The heart though, the heart is provided by the prose and talent of Ms Moyes. She has taken the facts of the programme and woven them into an historical novel which not only breathes life into the trials, tribulations and limitations these women must have had to overcome or work within but also introduces characters you just don’t want to leave once the reading is finished.

The Giver of Stars oozes female empowerment on every page and is smattered with literary gems in each chapter (some from books, poems, magazines etc), but ‘the bread and butter’ is love, loss and laughter. I loved it.

Thank-you to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, but mostly thank-you to Jojo Moyes for the endless research and time you must’ve taken to ensure you got this book ‘just right’.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read a Jojo Moyes book before, but I see a lot of her work online different platforms and was quite eager to read this book especially as it is a historical fiction which is one of my favourite genres.
I loved the fact that the book was comprised of independent and strong woman and that the majority of main characters were woman. This kind of historical fiction isn't actually something I would choose to read about but i am glad i did, i enjoyed this book as much as i thought i would, and will actually be reading more of the authors work at some point in the near future.

A captivating book, transporting the reader to America. It is an incredible book which I really enjoyed. It gives an incite to what life would have been like at times as it was based on true story.

I'm a big fan of Jojo Moyes' previous books so was excited to give this a go. It's an interesting enough idea about a group of women in the South who travel around on horseback lending books to the local community. The pace is pretty slow and I found it a bit of a slog to try and get through. I do like historical fiction but something about this just missed the mark for me.

I love Jojo Moyes books so was delighted to see she had a new one coming out. From the blurb alone it is obvious that The Giver Of Stars is very different to her other novels but that intrigued me even more.

The story centres mainly around Alice and Margery. Alice is an English woman who is quite restless and not understood by her family so jumps at the chance of marrying an American man which gives her the opportunity for new adventures. Sadly Alice's marriage is not what she hoped it to be. I couldn't help but feel for her, alone in a new country with an over bearing father in law and a spineless husband.

Margery is very much a woman doing it for herself. It was great to see someone in an era where women should be in the background, standing up and doing something worthwhile. Whilst her and Alice are very much opposites, the friendship that blossoms between the two women was very heart warming.

The library service that brings a mix of different women together was something I'd never heard of before. It certainly is an eye opener knowing how these women took risks by going out on their own to bring books into the homes of a variety of different families and circumstances. Remember this is a time where travel was most often on horseback and a lot of the families homes are out in the sticks with no one near them for miles around.

Whilst overall I enjoyed this novel, I sadly didn't love it. Whilst I was interested in the characters and their lives, the story didn't grab me as much as I would have liked it to and I found myself drifting off and struggling to be kept engaged. No doubt I will be in the minority with my feelings and would still urge others to read it but for me it lacked the appeal that I usually find in the authors other books. Will certainly appeal to readers who love historical fiction.