I don't often do book reviews, but I had to put this one out there. I probably wouldn't have grabbed this book off the shelves because I'm more into suspense, magical realism, and anything a little bit not-of-this-world.
But this was a book club choice, so my husband and I both dug in. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is a courtroom drama wrapped up in historical fiction and based on a true story. Set in depression era Kentucky, this amazing tale of the packhorse librarians grabs you and doesn't let go. The characterization is impeccable and the figurative language is almost edible.
Alice Wright moves from England to Kentucky with her new husband, Bennett Van Cleve, but soon discovers that life under the watch of her oppressive father-in-law is nearly unbearable. She joins up with Eleanor Roosevelt's new library initiative to get books to those people in rural areas who can't easily access them. She, Margery, the feisty leader, and the other female librarians face down ignorance, and misogyny along with the physical demands of traveling by horse through mountainous regions of Kentucky. When a potential murder is discovered, the women must bond together to fight nearly insurmountable odds. It's a gorgeous story of sisterhood and determination with the added bonus of romance.
I couldn't put this one down, and like the best books, I wanted it to go on after I read the last word.
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