2024 the best historical fiction books review

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(as of Dec 09, 2024 14:22:21 UTC - Details)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER |  A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
 
“A great narrative about personal strength and really captures how books bring communities together.” —Reese Witherspoon
 
From the author of the forthcoming Someone Else’s Shoes, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond in Depression-era America

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.

From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books (May 4, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0399562494
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0399562495
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.46 x 0.88 x 8.36 inches
Reviewer: Julia Kaminski
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great Story
Review: Excellent book with a great story line. Historical fiction set in the wilderness of Kentucky where women “knew their place, men ruled and blacks had no say”. So important to remind us how things were and still are in many respects. This was a story of women who took library books to homes very far into the wilderness. Great character development. I cried and laughed throughout. A few times I thought it was a little slow in places, but that didn’t stop me from needing to “read one more chapter”. The ending was great and tied it all together.

Reviewer: Tierney
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: good
Review: Very good. Enjoyable. Don’t know if I would read it again but was a great story. Liked it very much.

Reviewer: turqlover
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fabulous! Read library copy, then got paperback instead of a ebook, cause it was just THAT GOOD!
Review: I am a former librarian, now a library school professor, and have long been fascinated by the women who in the 1930s-40s traveled on horseback to deliver books to customers who were too far from the library to be able to use it. They were the forerunners of today's bookmobile librarians, who do the same thing.These women were courageous, dedicated, and devoted to their profession and to their service. They went to towns and homes where no one else would go. They brought education, information, and entertainment to the people they served, including people that had mostly been forgotten about, discarded, or discriminated against.Moyes has done extensive research to create the story of one group of these women, who ran one of the first groups of librarians on horseback in the Appalachian Mountains. Her characters are well-rounded and realistic, appealing to the reader, who gets involved in their lives immediately. But they are not always well-liked by everyone in the communities they serve, and face those are hostile to their service and the people they deliver books to. They also faced physical hardships--the roads they travelled were impossible for anyone not on horseback, and even barely passable for those who were.As Moyes described these women, their lives together, their families, their loves and tragedies, their incredible strength and determination, I was so caught up in their stories, that I read slowly in parts, just because I wanted to enjoy every well chosen word and every well crafted scene. This is a book that you are likely to stay up all night with because you just cannot put it down. Moyes' other books are quality reading, but this one surpasses all others.Who would I recommend this to? Well, librarians of course! Especially to those librarians who are dealing with censorship, banning, hostility and harassment from their communities, and loss of their jobs if they do not knuckle under and purify their collections. Then I'd suggest it to people who want to know about the history of the Appalachian Mountains regions, and the people who lived there. And people who love romance novels who are outside the standard canon, mystery readers (I didn't figure out the central mystery until I finished the book and immediately went back to the first page to read it again! Then it all made sense!), women who like "woman's lit," book club groups who want something meaty to dig into for lengthy and deep discussions, history buffs who want a well researched view of a time and a place, fans of Moyes, and just about anyone who likes a well written story that echoes in their memory long after the book is finished. This one is the newest addition to my Top 10 of All Time List, and I'm betting some of you will feel exactly the same way. And no, it's always okay to go from the last page of a book to the first page, and start it all over again, cause it's so good. This title also joins my list of two that I also read front to back and front to back again. The first one was Linda Howard's "Mr. Perfect", a book you should never read in public if you have a laugh as loud as mine. The second was Lisa Gardner's "Perfect Husband," which wasn't so funny, but which has one of the most horrible villains I've ever read, and again, one that I didn't guess until Gardner revealed him. Two broken people work together, trying to heal both of them.Just remember, don't start Give of Stars when you have to get up early the next day--you'll certainly be dragging if you do--spoken from experience!

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: This novel is a lovely change of pace, elevated reading.
Review: The characters in The Giver of Stars - human, animal, regional and historic era are real and compelling on the page, and comprise to this reader a true American novel. The author compares in my estimation to Steinbeck or Fitzgerald in how she has captured time and place. Although at times grim, the characters grip ones imagination; drawing the turning of each page, chapter by chapter.

Reviewer: jeannette elliot
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: wonderful
Review: well written. wonderful book.

Reviewer: eberns
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: most enjoyable
Review: Wonderful story line, characters developed very well, you felt like you knew them well by the end. I would recommend it.

Reviewer: Truefull
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Wonderful book
Review: It was easy reading with a great ending.

Reviewer: Katherine
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great book.
Review: This book was our October choice. Great read and enjoyed the things I learned about the Packhorse Librarians.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: While the story line is somewhat predictable, I found this book a great read,. I did not want to put it down. It is the story of five women who become a team delivering books in rural Kentucky. They are all very different but all in need of friendship. It is frustrating to read about the power of the wealthy and the assumptions made about women.

Reviewer: Julia Morgan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Well written and gripping. It held me spell-bound. One of the best books I've read.

Reviewer: AryaS
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Not only does the plot captivate with its intrigue, but it also serves as a valuable testament to the lives of women – encompassing not only those who defy convention, but all women – in Eastern Kentucky during the 1930s.The narrative intricately weaves the personal journeys of two main female characters with the lives of other women and men residing in a small, rural corner of the world. Here, local norms often take precedence over laws and common sense.At its heart, this is the tale of the pioneering Baileyville WPA packhorse librarians – all of them women – and their arduous struggle for acceptance and recognition within the local community. Ultimately, it is a narrative that underscores the profound significance of reading in human lives. It acts as a binding force, creating a parallel realm that fosters emancipation, respect, and righteousness.Undoubtedly, a genuinely enriching read

Reviewer: S. Jones
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This page-turner is definitely a great read, although possibly not for someone going through emotional turmoil. The characters are all believable and guaranteed to generate strong feelings of love or hate on the reader's part. The factual background was new to me even though I spent most of my life in the USA. The author deals boldly with issues of the time and place, some of which are still with us, so it is good food for thought. As an American married to a Brit and living in the UK for 20 years, I was fascinated by the main character coping with a reversal of my situation, although with many differences due to the era and location. Even though I recommend this book highly, if you are a reader who likes tp have every plot twist make perfect sense, you might spot the 3 less than logical points in the story. But it's worth the read anyway, as it will really take you out of yourself and your daily routine. A book about the value of books is always appreciated by avid readers.

Reviewer: Landy Karla
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Excelente libro si ya disfrutan las historias de Jojo Moyes tienen que leerlo