Summary

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic. 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. Soon she will be joined by four other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. Set in Depression-era America and based on a true story, The Giver of Stars is the breathtaking tale of their remarkable journey and 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.

Why I chose to read this book
I wanted to branch out when shopping for my next book haul. The summary gave me chills as I love reading stories about woman empowerment and how we can come together to help one another. Stories like these give me hope and open my heart.

Thoughts & Opinions
As soon as I started reading this book I thought oh no… the font is small, this is going to be long and boring. But after a few paragraphs, my first impression completely shifted and I actually smiled and enjoyed what I was reading. There is a lot of humor in this book. It’s not a comedy though, far from it. The story is nothing short of despair, heartbreak, frustration, and injustice. I experienced a lot of emotions going through this journey with the women of the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky, in service during the Depression-era. There are some passages, even chapters, that were incredibly heartbreaking to read. I got attached to the characters and invested in their well-being. You’ll laugh with them and you’ll cry with them.

The women in this journey start a traveling library, delivering books to the most remote and rural locations in Kentucky, riding their horses no less. The scenery is beautifully captured and I really felt like I was there with them, going through all their hardships, and falling prey to the elements.

Now, some of the societal behaviors and mores displayed in this story might shock and confuse some readers, and others will nod knowingly, about the grim life of women in the south in a not-so-distant past. The fact that some of the problems and issues that these women face are still relatable to this day is quite sad for womanhood. The all too familiar feeling of rampant misogyny is ever-present but we are still introduced to some upstanding men, who treat their women lovingly. Some of the relationships in this story, whether romantic relationships, friendships, or the bond people share with their horses, were truly beautiful to witness.

I loved the two main characters, Alice and Margery. They are both incredibly different from each other but share a deep bond throughout their time working as the Packhorse Librarians. Together, with a few other brave women, they face unbelievable challenges while trying to provide a service to their community. Education, knowledge, and open-mindedness are all valuable and indispensable things brought on by books, which are a threat to the backward way of life of their deeply conservative community. You’ll see just how difficult it was being a woman during the ‘30s, especially in Kentucky, where the only book that mattered was the Bible.