Page Turners – The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyers

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is this month’s selection for Page Turners book club. The 2019 novel has earned praise from many sources for its portrayal of the packhorse librarians who helped bring literacy “Moyes brings an often forgotten slice of history to life… the true power of the story is in the bonds between the women of the library … A love letter to the power of books and friendship.” (Kirkus)
I find it interesting to note that Moyes is a British author who lives and works in the U.K. and has never lived in the United States. She did, however, visit the sites depicted in this work several times when writing The Giver of Stars.
Page Turners book club consists of three groups, one meeting on the fourth Monday afternoon of the month and the two other groups meeting on the fourth Thursday after-
to Appalachia. Amazon/Goodreads says, “Set in Depression era America, it is a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond.” While the author has made her name writing contemporary romance, “she proves just as adept at historical fiction…” (Washington Post) “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.” (Penguin/ Random House)
noon of the month. For information on the Thursday groups please contact Steve and Ann Morris at samwrsi@cox.net and for the Monday group contact me at fozimec@cox.net.
—Frances Ozimec
Note: You can read more about the packhorse librarians and the WPA Packhorse Library Initiative in the novel The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim M. Richardson (2019), the children’s book Down Cut Shin Creek by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne C. Schmitzer (2019), and the Smithso- nian Magazine arti-cle “Horse-Riding Librarians … Depres- sion’s Bookmobiles” (June, 2017).