The Giver of Stars

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Throughout the novel, did the town’s treatment of any of the women who defy traditional gender and racial stereotypes shock you? Why or why not?
• How did you feel about the main character, Alice, as the book progressed? Did your opinions of her change as her character grew?
• After its release, this novel was criticized by Kim Richardson, author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Richardson advanced allegations of plagiarism for the books’ similarities in plot, setting, and characters, though the allegations did not progress. Consider doing a paired read between The Giver of Stars and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and comparing the two. What different ideas and themes do the novels have to offer?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Alice learns from an unexpected mentor, Margery. Have you had an unexpected or unconventional mentor in your life, and what did you learn from them?
• Alice joins the Pack Horse Library because she feels stagnant in a boring town and a loveless marriage, though marrying and taking care of domestic affairs was what was expected of women in the United States in the 1930s. Have you ever felt stagnant at any point in your life? What did you do to move forward?
• While this novel does discuss romantic relationships, it largely focuses on the relationships between communities of female friends. How do your communities of friends support you?
• Books symbolize many things in the novel, including education, knowledge, and escapism. What have books symbolized in your own life? Is your relationship to books similar to any of the characters’?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• What types of gender norms and expectations affect the women in the novel? How have these norms shifted between the 1930s and our contemporary moment? Are there any norms that have persisted?
• Had you heard about the role of women in the Pack Horse Librarian Program before reading this book? In what ways is this story an “untold history”? What did you learn about this program through the novel, and why is it important to have novels that discuss lesser-known historical events? What can contemporary readers learn from these stories?
• What nuance does the character of Sophia add to the novel? Are there any ways in which white women like Alice and Margery do not understand the intersectional oppression a Black woman like Sophia faces? What lessons can be taken from these dynamics today?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How is Alice’s life affected by the gendered norms and expectations of her time (and by the difference in expectations between England and the Southern United States)? As her character grows, how does she deviate from traditional expectations of women, and how does she continue to pursue these expectations?
• What is the character of Margery O’Hare like as a role model? What types of values and actions does she prioritize in her teaching? How does she affect the lives of her mentees, like Alice?
• How do Margery, Alice, and Sophia each uniquely navigate the social expectations of their era? How do they differ in their approaches to defying the gendered expectations of their day, and how is this difference affected by other intersections of social inequities?
• Why is the setting of Great Depression-era Appalachia vital to the events of the narrative? What types of events, social systems, characters, and histories characterize Appalachia in this story? How do the troubles that affect rural Appalachia (for instance, poverty and domestic abuse) contribute to the tone of the novel?
• What is the significance of both Alice and Margery finding happiness in marriage at the end of the book, after so much of the plot and character development revolves around their defiance of social norms?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• There have been many successful film adaptations of books set in Appalachia. For instance, October Sky (adapted from the book Rocket Boys), The Devil All The Time, Winter’s Bone, and Cold Mountain. Who would you cast in a film adaptation of this novel?
• All of the main female characters—Alice, Margery, Sophia, Beth, and Izzy—get their own version of a happy ending. Choose one of these characters and imagine what comes next for them after the novel ends.

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