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The Giver of Stars

Reese's Book Club (A Novel)

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The Giver of Stars

Written by: Jojo Moyes
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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About this listen

Number one New York Times best seller

A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick

USA Today's top 100 books to read while stuck at home social distancing

“I’ve been a huge Jojo Moyes fan. Her characters are so compelling.... It’s such a great narrative about personal strength and really captures how books bring communities together.” (Reese Witherspoon)

From the author of Me Before You, set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond.

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So, when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them - and to the men they love - becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity, and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: Bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.

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.

Soon to be a major motion picture!

©2019 Jojo Moyes (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Kentucky Heartfelt Romance Village
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What the critics say

“A captivating tale of love, friendship, and self-actualization.” (People)

"The Giver of Stars is a richly rewarding exploration of the depths of friendship, good men willing to stand up to bad and adult love. Moyes celebrates the power of reading in a terrific book that only reinforces that message." (USA Today)

"Though she made her mark writing contemporary romance, Moyes proves just as adept at historical fiction.... The Giver of Stars is a celebration of love, but also of reading, of knowledge, of female friendship, of the beauty of our most rural corners and our enduring American grit: the kind of true grit that can be found in the hills of Kentucky and on the pages of this inspiring book." (The Washington Post)

Editorial Review

When your world feels like it is closing in around you, and you're well and truly stuck, windows can open in the most unlikely of places. From beloved author Jojo Moyes comes this historical fiction tale of bravery, self-discovery, love, and unbreakable friendship.

After marrying a handsome American man to flee her proper and boring life in England, Alice Wright unexpectedly finds herself displaced and lonely in the brand new and strange world of small-town Kentucky. That is, until she is introduced to the Packhorse Librarians—a team of women who deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s innovative traveling library.

In The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes pulls on real events to tell a captivating story of courage, kinship, and the wonder of books that will inspire and delight. She brings warmth and immediacy to her historical fiction. In her signature style, Moyes creates well-rounded, relatable characters—a medley of women filled with gumption, humour, and kindness—and invites the listener into the narrative to form meaningful connections with them. While the story centres around female friendship and connection, the listener is able to feel right at home in the characters’ place, time, and community. This intimacy adds a deeper level to listening, bringing the Packhorse Librarians in all their glory, danger, and drama fully to life.

Julia Whelan offers her accomplished voice and seasoned skills as narrator. She has performed numerous audiobooks by top name authors, including Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Educated by Tara Westover, and several novels by Nora Roberts. Her steady and inviting tone welcomes listeners to come along on the adventures of Alice and other brave women in The Giver of Stars.

Featured Article: Best Audiobook Narrators for an Immersive Experience

Audiobooks have revolutionized the literary world, opening up classic books to a whole new generation of listeners. It isn't just as simple as committing a great story to tape and letting the tale do the rest, of course, it isn't. In this new and exciting world, an audiobook is only as good as its narrator. A bad voice can drag a good story down, while a great voice can lift good stories. Luckily for listeners across the world, there is no shortage of fantastic voices in the Audible library, filling classic and contemporary stories with character, charm and glee. These are the very best audiobook narrators going today.

What listeners say about The Giver of Stars

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Loved this book

Did not want this book to end. Loved the relationship between the women. Looking forward to the movie.

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Loves it

A beautiful story. I cried and I laughed. I didn’t want the story to end.

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The best!

The story, the narrator, everything about this book was perfect. I kept re winding because I didn’t want it to end.

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great novel set in southern USA in 1930's

I loved this book and found it highly educational. highly recommend! I didn't know anything about the ladies of the horse pack library.

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Fabulous story

I loved this story so much. Not just entertaining but challenging to keep the characters organized in my head with enough drama, love, adventure and compassion to keep me glued to the very end. I have now gifted it to 3 friends.
Basically, I feel it is history come alive and as a Canadian,I would never experience.
I listened to several chapters over and over to make sure I did not miss any details and next year when my memory has faded a little I can enjoy it all over again.
I also saw the movie : Me before you. Wow, that was powerful ! Left a person thinking how lucky we really are!
JoJo you are a talented writer.

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great read

if you like historical fiction you will enjoy this. interesting insights into female horse riding librarians in Appalachians set with an interesting array of characters.

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A great story

I loved everything about this book. The characters, the setting, the narration, the ending!! It feels these days like authors are trying to come up with the strangest and creepiest things to make into a story so it was so refreshing to hear a good old fashioned story by a great story teller. I might even listen to this one twice!

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Narration unmatched.

I was so swept up in the remarkable narration of this audiobook. It was almost theatrical, but in the very best way possible. Julia Whelan makes this compelling story unforgettable.

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Had to put my life on pause to finish listening

I thought this book was a little slow to start but it went somewhere I wasn't expecting at all and I couldn't stop listening! Will recommend to all of my friends.

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Excellent!!

Captivating and well written story. It will definitely tug at every emotion. The narrator really brings the characters to life. A must to listen to!!

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