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From the author of Me Before You, set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond. 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.
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The Giver of stars
- this was overall okay for me. I hadn't left myself very much time, so I was listening to the audiobook at three times speed and speed reading, which I think affected my enjoyment
- I liked the traveling Librarians and the 'forging community connections' elements- the promoting of reading and getting people their stories is important. Plus the ladies becoming friends was nice too
- I was not expecting this to turn into the big courtroom drama and trial, so the latter half of the book bogged down for me
- the characters were enjoyable while I was reading, but with a tiny bit of distance I can see how they were more one-note and not nuanced- villain, badass tough lady, stand up good girl who is naive and impulsive
- overall it was fine though long while reading, but forgettable even 10 days later