Kent District Library issued the following announcement on Dec. 3.
If you know anything about the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky, then you can probably guess that they are humble legends in the library world. Back during the great depression, a group of ladies saddled up their horses and hauled library books across the state. In her new book The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes takes a group of 5 extraordinary women and tells their tale of how the Packhorse librarians came to be. We follow Alice Wright who moves to America with her new husband and is looking to break out of her claustrophobic life. She decides to answer Eleanor Roosevelt’s nationwide call for a new traveling library. Teaming up with the self-sufficient Margery, they embark on a mission to bring knowledge and literacy to many people who have never had a book before.
For another powerful book set during the great depression, don't miss The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows. Layla Beck, cut off from her father’s allowance, finds a job through the New Deal program. She is assigned to a mill town in West Virginia to cover the town’s history and finds the truth buried in the twisted and secret past of the Romeyn family.
In this other great historical fiction title, True Sisters, Sandra Dallas tells the tale of four women who embark on a harrowing journey from Iowa City to Salt Lake City.
For a fantastic read about the power of female friendship, check out If You Want to Make God Laugh by Biance Marais. Poor, pregnant and desperate, Zodwa carries a deep secret with her that trickles down to affect a wealthy socialite across the country.
Lastly, don’t miss out on this great story illustrating the powers of friendship, love and loss. Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler, like the books above, is about historical events. At the turn of the 20th century, a home opened near Arlington, Texas for women exposed to poverty. Two women form a friendship whose story reaches a librarian nearly a century later. If you’re looking for a resonant read about the healing power of friendship, don’t miss this one.
Don't forget to check out our recommendations page for even more librarian curated picks!
Original source can be found here.
Source: Kent District Library
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