Jojo Moyes: The Giver of Star, Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House UK), 9780718183231, large paperback

Last review of 2019, perfect read between Christmas and the end of the year, a terrific yarn from the fabulous Jojo Moyes based on historic facts about the female Horseback Librarians of Kentucky who during the Great Depression employed by the US government WPA program went on horseback through ice, snow and heat bringing books and joy to dirt poor people in the Kentucky hills despite a lot of resistance from narrow minded folks and criminals. It’s a story about five strong women who followed their heart and conviction supporting each other.  

There is Alice Van Cleve, an educated, well brought up English woman who married into Kentucky royalty, a corrupt yet pious mine owning family finding herself stuck in a loveless, suffocating marriage.  

Margery O’Hare, whose tough childhood with an abusive felon of a father leads her to live a life as a self-reliant rebel horse- woman becoming the heart of the Horseback Librarians teaching them about horseback riding, the countryside and the Kentucky mountain folks.  She is not afraid to use her gun on occasion.

Izzy Brady, crippled after contracting polio as a child, has pretty much given up on a life for herself until her mother forces her to enter the Horseback Library.

Beth Pinker brings with her the toughness of a woman growing up with 8 brothers who is not afraid to ruffle feathers.

Last but not least Sophia Kenworth, the backbone of the library and keeper of the books, a trained librarian who spent 8 years in a colored librarian forced to return to Baileyville to care for her brother William after he suffered a mining accident in the Van Cleeve mines.

“The Giver of Stars” is a true page-turner of a novel with well crafted characters and a captivating storyline.  Jojo Moyes said this is the book she loved writing the best spending some time in Kentucky researching and writing, it clearly transpires, she had me greatly entertained.