The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
March is Women’s History Month. And today is Read Across America Day. The Giver of Stars* is the perfect culmination of both themes. Set in Depression-era Kentucky, Jojo Moyes’ novel is a fictionalized imaging of a WPA initiative aiming to bring books and literacy to remote areas. Spearheaded by Eleanor Roosevelt, the FDR administration commissioned Pack Horse Librarians in Kentucky to rural communities like the fictional Baileyville of The Giver of Stars.
Synopsis
Baileyville is a community made up of generational mountain folk and implanted miners. Most everybody knows everybody and all their business, things run a certain way, and change isn’t looked upon kindly. So, when the very English Alice comes to town as local golden boy Bennet Van Cleef’s new bride, she’s in for intense scrutiny from her new xenophobic neighbors.
The Good
Moyes describes the Kentucky landscape beautifully. She has a flair for setting scenes. And she does so without distracting you from the story. Her characters are fully fleshed out. The story arcs, especially for Marge and Alice, have depth and payoff. And the pacing! I cannot stress enough how important pacing is in storytelling. Like a good drama, Moyes tells parts of the story and then lets them linger in the background before placing them once again at the forefront with unexpected relevance.
The Bad
I admit there are times when Moyes plays into stereotypes. Mr. Van Cleef senior is almost comical in his vehemence. The best way I can describe Van Cleef’s over-the-top demeanor is if the animated Foghorn Leghorn were to star as Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
The Ugly
Jojo Moyes is an author I have avoided reading. She seems to court controversy. Namely, Me Before You has been considered detrimental in the disabled community. Critics did not take to the overall message or the tropifying of disabled persons.
But I chose to read The Giver of Stars. Why? Well, one of my sisters is an avid listener of audiobooks. And she said, of the many books she listened to last year, this was one of two or three she really enjoyed. I trust her opinion, and so I picked up The Giver of Stars. But then, after reading the book, I found an interesting article. It talks about the similarities between this book and another book. You can read about that here if you like.
Rating 5/5
It was unfortunate, after reading the book, to learn Moyes is still controversial. But as I did not know that before reading it, I was able to enjoy the novel. And even though I am aware of the accusations of plagiarism, my feelings for the book remain the same. I’m sure The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek* by Kim Michele Richardson is also a great read. And maybe in a couple of years, I’ll want to revisit the era of Pack Horse Librarians in Kentucky, and I’ll choose to read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.
