“The Giver of Stars,” written by well-known author Jojo Moyes, is a wonderful commentary on the beauty of sisterhood between women in the South and the terrible bias that sometimes comes with living in small communities. This book is set directly after the American depression that left most of the country in deep poverty and debt. Alice Van Cleave, a young British woman, finds herself married to the son of a wealthy mine owner in a small town set within the mountains and woods of rural Kentucky.

Throughout this story, readers can watch as Alice finds herself among a rag-tag group of women set on delivering books to the less fortunate of their town in a traveling library created by first lady of the time, Eleanor Roosevelt. 

This book is a good read for those interested in the earlier South, and is especially great for people with a love of literature as well as unrecognized heroes. Themes throughout the book set up the perfect atmosphere for an underdog and characters that readers eventually find themselves loving and possibly relating to as well.

Although the book is a great read, I must admit it’s not always an easy one. It’s sometimes wordy, and starts off somewhat slow. Along with this, it has specific aspects that would be considered somewhat inappropriate for a younger audience. 

For me (and readers much like me), I found these parts of the book a helpful buildup to the overall context for the story and a compelling, worthwhile read. 

While this story dives deeper into the wonderful connections between women of the south, it also includes themes of action, family, and even romance for those who might like a more romantic fictional take on their books. 

Although it is not the main plot of the book, the romantic subplot creates another perspective on human connection. Thus, many find that this book has all the aspects a fictional lover might want.

People Magazine stated that “The Giver of Stars” was “A captivating tale of love, friendship, and self-actualization.”