Staff Picks
The Giver of Stars
by Jojo Moyes
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 a classic drama of
loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. Though they face all kinds of dangers, they’re
committed to their job – bringing books to people who have never had any, sharing
the gift of learning that will change their lives.
Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in
its scope. At times funny, at others heartbreaking, this is 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.
