I'm not a huge fan of fiction which means a book in this genre has to be extra special for me to give more than three stars in a review. THE GIVER OF STARS was a good book and well written but there was nothing extra special about it for me. For those who like a lot of relationship drama and romance in a historical setting, this will be a very good read.
I found it impossible not to compare this book with another book about the pack horse library, BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, written by Kim Michele Richardson. There evidently is some controversy surrounding the two books and whether one author plagiarized on the other author's ideas in the writing of these books. Personally, other than the fact that both books include information about the Pack Horse Library and are set in rural Kentucky, there are few similarities. Both books are well written and interesting.
THE GIVER OF STARS tells of a young English woman who after a quick courtship and a hasty marriage, follows her new husband to Kentucky where she quickly finds out that her marriage and new life is not the romantic adventure she thought it would. She is forced to live the home of her deceased mother-in-law, whom she never met. The house has become no less than a shrine to her husband's mother's memory and her father-in-law is cruel and heartless, making unrealistic demands of both his son and his son's new wife. Alice, looking for a place to belong and for something to fill her long, lonely days, volunteers for the Pack Horse Library where she meets other strong women, like herself, with whom she becomes friends. Introduced to the locals along the route, she has to prove herself to them as they are unsure of her English accent and foreign manners. There's an ever growing unrest between Alice and her husband, Bennett, that culminates when he does not stand up his wife even when she is physically assaulted. There's an outside love interest that waits patiently for Alice, letting her decide for herself what direction her life will take. There are the female friends, each with their own sets of problems (and romantic interests for some) and there are the locals, sometimes friendly and other times hostile. The book would not be complete without storms raged by unpredictable weather in the Kentucky hills and hollows, as well as the struggle between the Coal Company (owned by Bennett's father) and the locals seeking better working conditions and less impact on the local environment.
THE GIVER OF STARS is a very full book with plenty of drama to keep the reader engaged and it's well written. If only I were a lover of historical romance, then I may have given THE GIVER OF STARS more stars in my review.
I found it impossible not to compare this book with another book about the pack horse library, BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, written by Kim Michele Richardson. There evidently is some controversy surrounding the two books and whether one author plagiarized on the other author's ideas in the writing of these books. Personally, other than the fact that both books include information about the Pack Horse Library and are set in rural Kentucky, there are few similarities. Both books are well written and interesting.
THE GIVER OF STARS tells of a young English woman who after a quick courtship and a hasty marriage, follows her new husband to Kentucky where she quickly finds out that her marriage and new life is not the romantic adventure she thought it would. She is forced to live the home of her deceased mother-in-law, whom she never met. The house has become no less than a shrine to her husband's mother's memory and her father-in-law is cruel and heartless, making unrealistic demands of both his son and his son's new wife. Alice, looking for a place to belong and for something to fill her long, lonely days, volunteers for the Pack Horse Library where she meets other strong women, like herself, with whom she becomes friends. Introduced to the locals along the route, she has to prove herself to them as they are unsure of her English accent and foreign manners. There's an ever growing unrest between Alice and her husband, Bennett, that culminates when he does not stand up his wife even when she is physically assaulted. There's an outside love interest that waits patiently for Alice, letting her decide for herself what direction her life will take. There are the female friends, each with their own sets of problems (and romantic interests for some) and there are the locals, sometimes friendly and other times hostile. The book would not be complete without storms raged by unpredictable weather in the Kentucky hills and hollows, as well as the struggle between the Coal Company (owned by Bennett's father) and the locals seeking better working conditions and less impact on the local environment.
THE GIVER OF STARS is a very full book with plenty of drama to keep the reader engaged and it's well written. If only I were a lover of historical romance, then I may have given THE GIVER OF STARS more stars in my review.
I have given this book three stars on Goodreads.