The Giver of Stars: Reese's Book Club (A Novel)

Jojo Moyes

Oct 2019 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Julia Whelan

About this audiobook

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER |  A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
 
“A great narrative about personal strength and really captures how books bring communities together.” —Reese Witherspoon
 
From the author of the forthcoming Someone Else’s Shoes, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond in Depression-era America

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.

Ratings and reviews

A wonderful story with important and inspiring subject matter regarding prejudices in the early 1900's toward women and ethnic groups. this is a part of history we don't like to remember but which we need never forget. i loved the story and characters...women who come together to create a lending library in the back woods of Kentucky and their struggles. the only reason i have this 4 stars instead of 5 is the way the author ended thetrial...to me it was unbelievable and nonsensical even though it was how i hoped it would eventuallyl come out...i thought it could've been donein a more realistic way.

narrator was most enjoyable doing voices, male/female and believable accents. I almost cried at end of story!

I love this book. I was sad to say goodbye to the characters.

About the author

Jojo Moyes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, Me Before You, After You, Still Me, Paris for One and Other Stories, One Plus One, The Girl You Left Behind, The Last Letter from Your Lover, Horse Dancer, Silver Bay, The Ship of Brides, and The Peacock Emporium. She lives with her husband and three children in Essex, England.