finished reading

I think I've now read everything Jojo Moyes has written after finishing this book.  This is a departure for Moyes, exploring historical fiction--particularly because it is set in Great Depression-era Kentucky.  The themes are familiar territory: female friendship and empowerment, found family, and self-discovery.

What's typical of Moyes is vivid characters.  Even secondary characters are fleshed out. I liked gruff Margery's vulnerability when she is away from the town's scrutiny and stereotyping.  I liked Alice's fish-out-of-water growth from outsider to insider.  I liked Izzy's pampered can't-do attitude morphing into done and done.  And I could go on and on about Sophia's bravery.

I am well aware of the plagiarism controversy surrounding this book, which is partly what delayed me from reading it sooner.  But while it shares the Packhorse Librarians premise with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, the focus and storytelling style of Moyes' book is quite distinct.

From the publisher:

Set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond

When Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, she escapes her stifling life in England, but small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books on horseback as part of Eleanor Roosevelt's new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. What happens to these women—and to the men they love—becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity, and passion.

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.