BOOK REVIEW: THE GIVER OF STARS & THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK
In the “book world,” there has been some controversy about these two books.
The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes was my favorite book of 2022.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was my first book of 2023.
After reading both, I didn’t find them very similar at all —in writing style, or even in plot.
Both books are set in Rural Kentucky during the Great Depression, and tell the story of the Pack Horse Librarians —primarily women, who delivered books on horseback (and sometimes by foot) to residents who didn’t have access to libraries, and oftentimes previously could not read.
Both books bring light to the many challenges of this time, from poverty, to the way that women were treated, to discrimination and racism, to the lack of access to medical care, to women being forced into marriage, just to name a few.
Beyond this, both books tell a different story.
To me, The Giver of Stars is primarily a story of female friendship and the strength and resiliency of women. The story is beautifully written.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, beyond being a story about the Pack Horse Librarians, is a story about the “blue people” of Kentucky, and the discrimination and hardship that they faced.
Both books are excellent.
Did you read either, or both?
If so, what did you think?
For more:
Favorite Books of 2023 on Bookshop (in progress)
