Giver of Stars - Jojo Moyes

Audio Book Review

Book/Story Rating - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Audiobook Quality and Experience - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book set in the late 1930's, is a clear depiction of the status of a Woman of those times. Starting with a romanticized marriage, moving to Rural America from her her home in the UK, to the self realization and culminating in being at peace with herself - Alice's Story is very relatable. And in this small town, feeling like an outsider, trying to make peace with her new life she comes across a strange collective of women, embarking on a journey to bring books into daily lives of people.

This book reminded me of a couple of other unrelated books/stories which I hold dear.
Victoria Holt's 'Pride of the Peacock' read almost 2 decades ago.. to 'Year of the Witching' read recently. I loved the portrayal of the Women in the book, the sheer gumption, the bravado and sheer resilience of them.

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Book Chosen for my Soul Sister's Book Club.

Quoting a bit from the Summary on Goodreads - 

'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.'

The Audible Audiobook is narrated by Julia Whelan. 

The book starts with the journey of Alice Wright, who find herself falling for, marrying a charming and handsome American. It's an escape from a judgmental society of her hometown, the cold environment of her family. The one person she feels she may miss, is her brother, and she feels he too would be too busy to miss her. She looks on to an adventure awaiting her, with her handsome husband, as she crosses the ocean.

The reality, however is a totally different one! Arriving in America, she finds herself, travelling further from the cities/town onwards to deeper in the countryside of Southern Appalachia, Baileyville, Kentucky. To home with a bossy Father-in-law, and a disinterested husband. A home, where she is expected to fill the enormous shoes of her revered Mother-in-law and prove herself worthy of being accepted in the small town community. She feels stifled with the constant comparison, and the lack of a relationship with her husband, who seems to completely change on her. Gone is the Adventure, she set out planning... She has to adapt, for a new one for herself!

Along comes an opportunity, a sneaky one, but Alice finds herself volunteering to be a horse pack librarian for the small town. Here she meets and forms a sisterhood of sorts with the women who run the library. Namely,

• Margery - A boisterous single woman, with an ill family repute, standing her ground as an individual. 
• Beth - A young girl from a house full of brothers, who constantly needs to make her presence felt .. so that she isn't lost in the count.
• Isabella Brady - A hesitant young girl with a foot disadvantage from a very reputed family, pushed toward volunteering by her mum. 
• Shopia - A woman from the colored community of the town, well read, an ex-librarian from a colored library, but marginalized in this rural community.

Set in the 1930's , ripe with marginalized treatment of individuals based on ethnicity, class of work and social status, this book journeys the growth oh Alice as a person and due to her close association, it also details the life of Margery as the town's purported 'Bad Girl'. Alice's growing friendship with Margery and idolizing the way she stands her ground, encourages  Alice leading to the developments in the story.

We have a couple of well written male characters in the form of Sven and Fred, who stand out as the most virtuous specimens of their lot in that small town.

Do give it a listen. The book is available for 1 Credit on Audible Subscription. The listening experience was clear, amazing and un_put_downable indeed!

SPOILERS - Please do not proceed further as some answers may revel plot/characters.

Q:Why read this book?

A: It's an eye opening experience, reading about the Social equations of rural America of the time. Celebrating the Women's initiatives , struggles and their success in this environment. The plot aside is a very interesting one.

Q: Characters that stood out and why?

A: All the main characters, especially Sven and Fred, as they stand out among the mediocrity among men. But the one I'd not forget in a hurry is Benett (Geoff) Van Cleve Sr.! The man is a despicable and malicious.