BOOK REVIEW: Giver of the Stars by Jojo Moyes – Avaya Sterrett

I read Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. It’s a historical fiction story. This means the story and characters are made up, but the facts of the year and what happened during that time in history are real. When I first purchased the book, I thought it would be about a strong female lead during World War II. Initially, I wasn’t happy this book didn’t follow WWII, but as I continued to read, I found it followed another time in history that has shaped where America is today. Giver of the Stars takes place during the financial crisis of the great depression. President Roosevelt and the First Lady developed a program to help America’s lost towns with literacy.

This story recounts the efforts of a few women in a small, isolated town with deep racial disparities to take on the task of the traveling library. This would lead these women to live the social injustices of not just the black community but of women of that time in general. They were expected to act a certain way to be accepted into local society. The two main characters in this book, Margerie and Alice, push the envelope of these standards and refuse to mold into the societal pressures that faced and still face many women in America.

Although I know the characters Margerie and Alice are made up for this story, I would like to believe the lengths many women over the decades, such as Margerie and Alice, have gone to have provided me with some of the justice women now have today. The story is one that has been told hundreds of times over time; women raise their voices and encourage change in how we view the role of women in society. Jojo Moyes was brilliant in capturing the dialog of that time in history. She wrote this story with eloquence and fiercely captured the heart of just a few fighters in a small racist town on the east coast.

One of the significant messages I believe telling stories such as the Traveling Library gives us, as readers decades later, a glimpse into what life was like for those who blazed the trails we complacently walk today. To be reminded that change is complex and often fought with social standards and fear of the unknown, we must continue to question everything and learn as much as possible from repital sources. As women living in a world where, even in 2024, women still see many disparities compared to men, we have seen so much growth and strength by using our voices and sometimes going against that social grain to be heard.

I think it’s a testament and a reminder to know when to be silent, when to whisper, when to talk, when to raise our voice, when to yell, and when to scream until we are heard. I give this book a solid five stars. If we don’t read about the past and learn from our mistakes, moving forward with positivity is impossible, as we have already seen.

This book would be great for the adventurer, the historian, and those looking for trailblazers.