FDL Reads: The Giver of the Stars
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Suggested Age: Adults and Teens
What is This Book About?: During the Depression years in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, the WPA Packhorse Librarians delivered books by horseback to remote cabins and homes throughout the region. This book is a fictionalized account of the courageous women who defied convention and rode horses and mules to deliver library materials to the residents of this remote countryside. Margery O’Hare, Alice Van Cleave, Beth Pinker, Izzy Brady, and Sophia Robinson are the librarians who brave all weather conditions, dangers and challenges to help spread literacy throughout the mountains. Intertwined are the stories of the personal lives, romances and other events experienced by these brave, trendsetting women.
My Review: I had not heard of the Packhorse Librarians of the WPA era until I saw a review of this book. I choose to read it because, as a librarian, I was intrigued by this early, innovative version of the bookmobile. The book was an enjoyable read. Alice Wright of England marries Bennett Van Cleave and moves to America unaware that she will be living in a small Kentucky town in the Appalachians in a home that is maintained as a shrine to her late mother-in-law by her father-in-law, Geoffrey who also lives with them. Geoffrey runs a mining operation and employs most of the local residents. Alice chooses to help Margery O’Hare, a bootlegger’s daughter, and begins delivering books to escape the oppressive atmosphere at home. The five librarians develop a camaraderie and friendship that can only be achieved through the sharing of trials, difficulties and triumphs. Jojo Moyes is an outstanding storyteller and this book makes the historical events on which it is based come to life through her excellent characterizations and narrative.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Enthralling, Funny, Heartbreaking
Give This a Try if You Like: Me Before You, After You, and the Lonesome Dove series by Larry McMurtry
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
Legends of Runeterra – “I’ve been passing most of my time playing 
Stamp Collection – “My escape from life is going where my postage stamps have been. I have postage stamps from 1850 to present from all over the world. I love the art of the stamp — it tells a story of the place and time in history. I can image how some of my vintage stamps have travel across the ocean by boats and by horses to today’s carriers. I can sit for hours going through my collection.”
Dolly Parton’s America – “If you’re looking for a positive distraction, this podcast delivers. Parton is a pop culture icon, but her impact is often minimized or dismissed because of her appearance and “hillbilly” roots. The host takes a thoughtful dive into all things Dolly, including her early years, business acumen (and charity foundations), unique brand of feminism, and how she unites people across cultural divides. You don’t need to be a fan of country music to appreciate the power of good storytelling.”
Smoking Meat – “Throughout the week, I am literally either doing library work, sewing masks, or coaxing the kids to do their e-learning. My husband has enjoyed having time to use our meat smoker 2 to 3 times per week since the school shutdown started, and yesterday he cooked this pork in the smoker.”
An Unquiet Mind – “This is a powerful memoir. Kay is an excellent writer who openly and candidly describes her life with an almost clinical perspective. This is a difficult story to read, but very enlightening about bipolar disorder which is much more prevalent in people’s lives than I previously thought. I am strongly in favor of making mental illness of all types less stigmatized by society and the candid way Jamison discusses her illness from both a medical and personal perspective helps to do this.” Check the eBook out from 
The Outsider by Stephen King has been turned into a 10-episode limited series by HBO. Single episodes or the entire series are available for purchase on digital platforms.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng has been turned into an 8-episode miniseries that premiered on Hulu in March. Several episodes are already available for streaming. Further episodes are being released on Wednesdays with the last one scheduled for April 22, 2020.
Normal People by Sally Rooney will soon premiere as a 12-episode series on Hulu April 29, 2020. The trailer is available to view now.
Feeling creative, but not sure how to get things started? Check out these awesome free coloring page resources! It’s proven that coloring can relieve stress and help you unwind – something everyone could benefit from right now. And there’s no need to stay in the lines! Below are a few links to collections of pages you can print. Get out your colored pencils, gel markers, or crayons and get ready to relax!
We understand that whether for homework or applying for help, access to the Internet can be vital during this time. Even though the library and Civic Complex buildings are closed, the library’s WiFi is still available to the public. The signal typically extends beyond library walls and into the closer parking lot spaces, so you don’t even have to leave your car! Simply select FDL-Guest or FDL-Guest 2 and accept the user agreement when prompted for access. Whether sitting in your car or standing nearby, please continue to follow all social distancing guidelines while using FDL’s WiFi.
Planning My Days – “Lastly, (but most importantly in some ways) I would not be able to function on a normal day, let alone these whacky times, without my planner. I really have been finding comfort in scheduling out my day. My husband and I are lucky to be able to work from home, but with daycare shut down, we need to be able to balance watching our son and working. We tried winging it, and it was chaos. It might seem robotic to schedule time with your kid, but it really does help me, and maybe it will help you too. Don’t feel like you have to schedule everything; find your balance and do whatever is useful to you.”
Mindcraft: Builders and Biomes – “We play a variety of games in our home, but the ones we are playing now are the Mindcraft: Builders and Biomes boardgame and Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch.”
