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Quick answer: Good discussion questions for The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes focus on the Pack Horse Library of Kentucky, female friendship, independence in a controlling marriage, books as freedom, small-town justice and love. Below are 19 questions grouped by theme, plus a spoiler-free summary.
Quick facts
Author: Jojo Moyes
Published: 2019
Setting: Baileyville, Kentucky, 1937 onward
History: based on the WPA Pack Horse Library Project
Content note: domestic abuse, sexual violence, murder and misogyny
The Giver of Stars brings to life a real and little-known chapter of American history: the women of the Pack Horse Library Project, who rode through the Kentucky mountains in the 1930s to bring books to remote families. Jojo Moyes builds a story of friendship, love and courage around it, and book clubs love its strong women and its celebration of reading. This guide includes a spoiler-free summary, characters and themes, and 19 discussion questions grouped by theme. The questions contain spoilers.
Table of Contents
Spoiler-Free Summary
Alice Wright is a restless young Englishwoman who marries a handsome American, Bennett Van Cleve, partly to escape her stifling life at home. She soon finds that life in the small Kentucky town of Baileyville is just as stifling, dominated by her overbearing father-in-law, who owns the local mine, and a husband who keeps her at arm’s length.
When the town forms a traveling library as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s WPA program, Alice signs up. She’s paired with Margery O’Hare, a fiercely independent woman who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. Along with three other women, they ride horses deep into the mountains to deliver books.
The librarians become friends, and the work gives Alice a sense of purpose. But not everyone in Baileyville approves of women with books and ideas, and the women’s courage is soon put to the test.
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Main Characters and Themes
| Character or Theme | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Alice Wright | An English bride who finds herself through the library |
| Margery O’Hare | The library’s fearless, independent leader |
| Bennett Van Cleve | Alice’s distant husband |
| Geoffrey Van Cleve | Alice’s controlling father-in-law, who owns the mine |
| Sven Gustavsson | Margery’s devoted partner |
| Fred Guisler | A kind local man who helps the library |
| Izzy, Beth and Sophia | The other librarians, each with her own story |
| Books and freedom | How reading opens lives |
| Female friendship | Women supporting one another against the odds |
| Power and justice | Who holds power in Baileyville and how it is used |
Discussion Questions (Contains Spoilers)
Alice
- Why does Alice marry Bennett, and when does she realize it was a mistake?
- How does working for the library change Alice?
- How does Alice’s relationship with Fred develop, and why is it so different from her marriage?
- What does Alice learn from Margery?
Margery
- Margery refuses to marry or follow the town’s rules. Did you admire her, or worry about her?
- Why does Margery keep Sven at a distance for so long?
- How did you feel during Margery’s arrest and trial?
The Librarians
- Izzy, Beth and Sophia each face different obstacles. Whose story moved you most?
- Sophia is a Black librarian who has to work out of sight. What does her experience show about the era?
- Which of the families on the routes stood out to you, and why?
- Why does the book Married Love cause such a scandal in Baileyville?
Power and Justice
- How does Geoffrey Van Cleve use his power to control the town?
- How does the mine affect the people of Baileyville?
- How do the women fight back against the men who want to stop them?
Big Picture
- The novel is based on the real Pack Horse Library Project. Did you know about it before reading?
- Some readers have noted similarities to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. If you’ve read both, how do they compare?
- What does the title, The Giver of Stars, mean to you?
- Which book would you want delivered to your door if you lived on one of the routes?
- What did the ending leave you feeling?
Book Club Ideas for The Giver of Stars
- Serve Kentucky food like cornbread, biscuits, apple stack cake or bourbon balls.
- Look at real photos of the Pack Horse librarians from the 1930s and compare them with the book.
- Bring a book to swap, the way the librarians shared books, and explain why you chose it.
- Donate books together to a local library, school or rural reading program.
Books Like The Giver of Stars
If your group loved it, try The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson for another pack horse librarian story, The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah for another 1930s heroine, or Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens for a woman shaped by a wild landscape.
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How to Structure Your Meeting
Kick things off by asking each person which librarian they’d want to ride with. Then work through two or three questions from each theme above, saving the “big picture” questions for the end. If your group is large, split into pairs for one theme and report back.
A simple 90-minute plan:
- 0–15 minutes: food, catch-up and the opening question.
- 15–60 minutes: the discussion questions, theme by theme.
- 60–75 minutes: one of the book club ideas above, or a quick comparison with the adaptation if there is one.
- 75–90 minutes: everyone rates the book out of five in one sentence, then you pick next month’s read.
Related: the best historical fiction books for book clubs and the best book club books for women over 50.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Giver of Stars about?
An English bride in 1930s Kentucky joins the WPA Pack Horse Library, where she and four other women deliver books on horseback and form a powerful friendship.
Is The Giver of Stars based on a true story?
The characters are fictional, but the Pack Horse Library Project was real. It ran from 1935 to 1943 and employed women to deliver books in rural Kentucky.
Is The Giver of Stars good for book clubs?
Yes. It’s warm and engaging, with strong women, a celebration of reading and plenty of themes to discuss.
Is The Giver of Stars appropriate for all book clubs?
It includes domestic abuse, sexual violence and a murder, so share a content note before reading.