I read Jojo Moyes’ The Giver of Stars because I had heard good things about it, and I was seeing it everywhere since it was a Reese’s Book Club pick. I really enjoyed it because it covered a fascinating part of history that I didn’t know anything about. After finishing that book, I started to hear about Kim Michele Richardson’s book The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I read a lot of reviews where people mentioned how similar the two books are. Richardson’s book came out a few months before The Giver of Stars. I decided to read Richardson’s book as well to see how similar they really are, and because I wanted to learn more about this part of history.
Synopsis of The Giver of Stars
Alice leaves her life in England to move to America with her husband, but it’s not what she hoped it would be. She and her husband live with her father-in-law, and her marriage is struggling, which is making her very unhappy. When she hears about a new traveling library in need of women to deliver books, she’s all in.
She quickly develops friendships with the other traveling librarians (known as Packhorse Librarians because they delivered the books on horseback). The women must overcome obstacles both in town and out on their routes to keep the library running, and to keep their personal lives from falling apart.
Synopsis of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Cussy Mary has grown up in Troublesome, a very poor and struggling community in the Appalachians. She lost her mom, and she lives alone with her father. She works as a Pack Horse Librarian, which she loves because it gives her purpose. The Pack Horse library program was established by President Roosevelt to get books to people in the Appalachian area who had no access to education. (Not to mention these people barely had access to food, medical care, and adequate shelter). Cussy has a specific route through the mountains to drop off/pick up book loans. Cussy has grown up being discriminated against because she has a bluish tint to her skin. (Based on people in Kentucky who really did have this condition). She suffers abuse and sexual assault when she is married off to an old man in town.
The book outlines her difficulties as a blue, as a librarian traveling dangerous routes day-to-day, and as someone who genuinely cares about others and has to watch them suffer and grieve. Cussy’s story is one of resilience, dedication, and love for the people she served.
Similarities and Differences
Comparing the two books side by side, I definitely see similarities. Both about the same topic, both with strong female leads. But in my opinion, the stories were different enough that they are both worth reading.
The Giver of Stars was about a woman who married into wealth and status. The Book Woman was about a woman who was very poor, and discriminated against for the blue color of her skin. Both women ended up in unhappy marriages (that were unhappy for very different reasons).
Cussy Mary is one of my favorite characters I’ve read. She faced hardships, got scared, got hurt, but kept doing what she knew had to be done. She was strong and brave, but still vulnerable and human. Alice was a strong lead as well, but her hardships looked much different than Cussy Mary’s.
The Giver of Stars felt like a faster paced read. The Book Woman moved pretty slowly in parts. However, I thought that The Giver of Stars felt rushed toward the end. So being fast paced isn’t always better.
The Giver of Stars followed Alice’s fight to be one of the librarians. She was trying keep the library running despite opposition from people in high positions in the town. The Book Woman followed Cussy’s daily fight to stay safe, stay alive, and provide what little she could for her patrons.
The Giver of Stars included a lot of detail about the female friendship among the librarians, and details of the personal lives of some of those friends. The Book Woman was mainly about Cussy. The other librarians were mostly unkind to her. Definitely not a group of girlfriends like in The Giver of Stars.
I would love to read more historical fiction written about the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians. It’s really fascinating to learn about. If you are interested in learning more about this part of US History, both of these books will give you some insight!
More Reviews
If you liked this review of The Giver of Stars and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, you can read more book reviews here.
You can find these books for free at a local library or on Libby, or you can purchase your own copies here and here.
