However, because one of the main characters is from Britain, Moyes used this as an opportunity to express both women’s issues extend outside of Kentucky and the U.S.

Themes like sexual expression and independence are repeated throughout.Īs readers, we get the opportunity to see all points of view on these subjects and how they impact the rural Kentucky women. Moyes’ novel examines the mid 1930s rural Kentucky through a distinctly feminist lens, in the plot line she develops, her main characters, and simply the area and topic she chose to base the novel around. “Nothing more dangerous than a woman armed with a little knowledge, even if she’s twelve years old.” Overall, this story is about friendship, independence, bravery, the heart of Appalachia, and the power behind literature. As readers we see Alice find her personality and develop tremendously. She gets to know Margery a character who teaches Alice about how to be brave and independent as a woman in Baileyville. As a librarian, Alice learns the rugged life of Appalachia and the souls of the people who live in the uppermost regions. That is, until she joins the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians, a program created by first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. The main character Alice, an English woman, marries Bennett Van Cleve and moves with Bennett into his childhood home with Bennett’s father in Baileyville.Įxcited for a big city and the adventures of an American life, Alice is sorely disappointed. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is a historical fiction novel based in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky and a town called Baileyville during the mid 1930s. Finishing The Giver of Stars with these current events in mind, created a whole new meaning to the book for me and aided in: great respect for the main women characters, who they represented in history, and how they helped pave the path for extraordinary women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Kamala Harris. She is the first woman to be elected as the Vice President of the United States. Moreover, this previous weekend, Kamala Harris was announced as the American Vice President-Elect.

In the month of October, American feminist icon, Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, ultimately putting many American’s human rights into question. Outstanding examples of feminism, heartwarming character development, and meticulous intentionality behind every word written are just three reasons why “The Giver of Stars” should be added to your TBR (to be read) list.Īdmittedly, the novel took me quite some time to work through (mostly because I was having reader’s block) however, I am thankful for my slow pace. Published in 2019, the historical fiction novel is one everyone should read. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is a novel that made me gasp, cry, and feel hopeful.