Stephanie Sullivan: Review - The Giver of Stars

October 01, 2020

TITLE: The Giver of Stars

RATING: ★★★★★

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Summary (from Goodreads): Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic–a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

REVIEW: This was my first time reading this author’s work, and I loved it! It was so easy to become immersed in the characters lives, and you can’t help but cheer for these strong, admirable women. Being a librarian myself, I felt a special bond with these traveling librarians, and I love how the author added book quotes from some beloved classics. This is an amazing story of perseverance and friendship. I would recommend it to everyone.