The Giver of Stars

Moyes, Jojo. The Giver of Stars. New York: Viking 2019. Print.

First Sentences:

Listen.

Three miles deep in the forest just below Arnott's Ridge, and you're in silence so dense it's like you're wading through it. There's no birdsong past dawn, not even in high summer, and especially not now, with the chill air so thick with moisture that it stills those few leaves clinging gamely to the branches.


Description:

Who can resist a title like The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes? And those wonderfully descriptive first sentences shown above? And then you find out the plot focuses on library books and the women who deliver them on horseback (actually, muleback) to families buried deep in the woods of Appalachia. Even better, you learn this novel is based on a real-life library system...well, how can you not pick this historical novel up and gobble it down?

Alice, an British woman living England in the 1930s, meets and falls in love with Bennett Van Cleve, a wealthy American coal baron. They marry and move to a small town in Kentucky to live with Bennett's father near the coal mines he and Bennett oversee with a cold hand.

As Alice becomes more bored with her subserviant, sequestered life expected by these two men, she decides on a whim to join several women starting a Books by Mule program. Started by Eleanor Roosevelt as part of the Works Progress Administration to provide Depression jobs, this program employed women to deliver library books to poverty-stricken families living deep in the woods of Kentucky hills. (Note: This was an actual program in the 1930s, developed and completely operated by women.)

Alice learns to ride a mule -- her first -- and navigate the twisting, rocky, unmarked trails in all weather, forming friendships with families along the way. Children love the picture and alphabet books she brings, while mothers are grateful for the spare time Alice provides them while she reads to the youngsters. 

Bennett and his father naturally do not approve of this occupation, feeling it unsuitable for a woman to leave her home responsibilities to ride off into the wilderness and intermingle with people who are not her status. As their marriage becomes more distant, Alice begins to blossom in her new job. Together with the other women, they organize the library holdings and expand their routes to reach more readers.

And of course, there are complications with other townspeople, her husband, other townswomen, and even some of the backwoods residents. Love relationships enter and leave so naturally throughout the plot.

The writing, like the characters, is wonderfully rugged and beautiful at the same time. And coupled with the local phrases, the atmosphere of the book seems Both delightful and honest. 

- That Mack McGuire, he makes my heart flutter like a clean sheet on a long line.

- It's hot enough out here to fry a snake.

Sometimes you just need a good, solid book with admirable characters leading realistic yet challenging and loving lives. The Giver of Gifts is such a book. Highly recommended.

Happy reading. 

Fred

Other book recommendations
About The First Sentence Reader blog

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Doig, Ivan. The Whistling Season.   

A Chicago woman in 1909 answers an advertisement for a housekeeper for a widower and his three young sons living in an isolated Montana town. She writes that she "Can't cook, but doesn't bite," and gets the job sight unseen (by both of them). She brings her brother with her on the train and he reluctantly becomes a unique schoolteacher. Simply wonderful, a great read not to be missed.  (previously reviewed here)

Summer Hours at the Robbers Library

Halpern, Sue. Summer Hours at the Robbers Library. New York: Harper. 2018. Print

First Sentences:

What you need to know about him back then is that if the police put seven college students in a lineup looking for the one who played trombone in the marching band, Calvin Sweeney would be picked, ten times out of ten.

And the funny thing is he did play trombone in the marching band, which is how we met. 

Description:

Things are pretty quiet in the life of head librarian Kit Jarvis at the Robbers Library. Nestled in the tiny town of Riverton, New Hampshire, the library and its regulars are content with their daily routines and familiar faces. But one summer the library experiences two newcomers, Sunny and Rusty. These newcomers eventually work their way into the library's everyday world in Sue Halpern's humorous, unexpectedly compelling novel, Summer Hours at the Robbers Library.

Sunny is a young teenager arrested and convicted for theft -- of a dictionary. The judge rules her community service to work off her crime is to work in the Riverton Robbers Library for one summer. With no experience, no real desire to be there, but a curiosity about the world of books and the library's off-beat patrons, Sunny begins to grow on the reclusive librarian Kit. (Anyone see the obscure film, Party Girl with Parker Posey with a similar premise? Wonderfully funny movie!)

No one thinks being a librarian is as awesome as being a neurosurgeon, but I always thought I was doing something valuable, putting books in he hands of readers. Books can save lives, too. I really believe that ... Like mine.

Kit and Sunny's curiosity is aroused when the other newcomer, Rusty, begins a daily routine on some sort of project with the computers in the library. He is well-dressed, carries an expensive briefcase, drives a Mercedes, and keeps completely to himself. Naturally, Sunny has to find out everything about him and uncover whatever keeps him so occupied.

As long as there are are secrets, there are going to be mysteries....As long as someone has something she wants to keep to herself, someone else is going to want to find out what it is. I guess that's human nature.

A simple story so far. But author Halpern has a few secrets up her capable sleeve, as do each of her characters. What brought Kit to this lonely town? What made Sunny steal a dictionary of all things? And what the heck is Rusty researching so diligently? The answers for these questions are only grudgingly given up by the characters. And once out there, these answers drive the plot to a new level of mystery, curiosity, and friendship.

This is a quiet book with no explosives (imagine that in a story about a library!), no squirming sex scenes, and no car chases. What makes a reader like me stick with this book and turn its pages is the strength of these interesting people who hide their personalities and secrets from the world in the quiet of a library. Unraveling the mysteries about their lives and unfolding events that occur once their secrets emerge are enticing incentives for readers to keep reading.

People who don't think the rules apply to them...are surprised and offended when others don't recognize and honor their exemption.

Halpern is a master storyteller, creating fascinating characters, clever dialogue, and situations that make Summer Hours at the Robbers Library a solid read full of unpredictable plot twists. Give it a shot. You won't regret poking around in this little gem.

If you're not loved for who you are, you cease to be real. Definitely for the other person, and maybe for yourself, too.

Happy reading. 

Fred

Other book recommendations
About The First Sentence Reader blog

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Johnson, Marilyn. This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All.  

Funny, intelligent, curious, and sometimes sad stories about the lives, staff, and people of public libraries. (previously reviewed here)

America's Library

Conaway, James. America's Library: The Story of the Library of Congress 1800-2000. New Haven: Yale University Press. 2000. Print.

First Sentences:

On a cold day in December, 1800, in the north Atlantic, a dozen trunks toss in the hold of a vessel named for the country toward which it sails.

In the trunks are books, according to the document accompanying them, sent "by the Grace of God, in good Order, and well conditioned ... upon the good Ship call the American" and protected against all but "the Act of God, the King's Enemies, Fire, and all and every other Dangers and Accidents of the Seas, Rivers, and Navigation, of whatever Nature and Kind."

Description:

OK, I know, I know. Another recommendation about some book-themed title. What can I say? I'm a former librarian, insatiable reader, and love what I love...which happens to be non-fiction books about books. So here is another fine offering to my favorite subject: James Conaway's America's Library: The Story of the Library of Congress 1800-2000.

Libraries were rare in the 1700s in America. Benjamin Franklin had started the first one in 1731 in Philadelphia. But Congress realized the value of having a private collection available for elected representative, so in 1789 they voted $1000 (and $500 annually after) to identify and purchase from England a "catalog of books necessary for the use of Congress," as well explore constructing a building to house them.

Imagine having to decide which books would be the most useful to understand governing a new nation, world history, social problems, biographies, business practices, classical works, and anything else deemed vital. Thus the Library of Congress was created.

From there, author Conaway describes, the construction of the building and collection, the resistance by Congress to its expense, the burning of the Library by the British in the War of 1812 and the Library's subsequent rise again with the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's personal library. Amazingly, the Library was completely burned or threatened with flames repeatedly throughout its history, with culprits including candles left burning or stopped up chimney flues.

But this glorious collection survives. Added to the original books-only library are now treasures such as Stradivari violins, Houdini's collection of magic and spiritualism, one (of only three known) perfect copy of the Gutenberg Bible, The American Memory Project of digitized Civil War photography, radio recordings, movies, historical documents, rare maps, and so much more

Along the way, Conaway inserts tidbits about the Presidents, directors, and collection donors who protected and moved the Library of Congress to new heights. There are also sidebars to provided historic color with events occurring during various periods of US history such as the Lewis and Clark exploration of the Louisiana Territory and the War with Mexico.

America's Library also includes photos and descriptions of the restoration of the Jefferson Reading Room to its original glory, a project recently completed that I saw in person and marveled at.

Maybe you are not so interested in books, buildings, collections, or the history of the United States. But this book and our Library of Congress show in words and photos that large numbers of people have struggled to create and preserve a rich collection of the wisdom of mankind and the United States for all of us to enjoy. We can all be proud of the Library of Congress, a symbol of intelligence, beauty, and ideas.

It is the duty of every good citizen to use all the opportunities which occur to him, for preserving documents relating to the history of our country." (Thomas Jefferson, 1823)

Happy reading. 


Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

The Library of Congress. The Card Catalog: Books, Cards, and Literary Treasures

Who would have thought the story behind the development and implementation of the library card catalog would be a fascinating read? From ancient book lists to the first Library of Congress catalog to the current MARC online access system, the card catalog has a rich history. If nothing else, this book contains great photos of libraries and people important in this history, along with photos of original catalog cards and the jackets of first edition books they represent. (previously reviewed here)

Johnson, Marilyn. This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All

Wonderful interviews and stories about all things librarian, from individuals dedicated to providing information in all formats while protecting privacy, even if it means standing up to the federal government. They create computer-based research and tools, answer questions more accurately than any Internet search engine, have launched Banned Book Week, One Book One Community, and Radical Reference to provide online information to activists, journalists, and organizations. A great profession thoroughly and appreciatively explored. (previously reviewed here)

The Card Catalog

The Library of Congress. The Card Catalog: Books, Cards, and Literary Treasures. San Francisco: Chronicle. 2017. Print.

First Sentences:

The origin of the card catalog goes back to the cradle of civilization nestled in the fertile ground between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. 

Description:

OK, so maybe not everyone's heart starts fluttering at the idea of a book about the development and intricacies of the library card catalog. But to me, The Card Catalog: Books, Cards, and Literary Treasures created by The Library of Congress is right up my alley. If the brief text doesn't grab you, there are a wide variety of photos of first edition book jackets with their historic catalog cards complete with original notations from librarians and evolving layout styles, making this book the perfect addition to any coffee table. Now if those enticements don't excite you, better stop reading now!

The original problem of the card catalog was how to organize millions of books in the Library of Congress (and other collections) so they could be systematically categorized and easily retrieved by readers. The answer evolved over many years as beautifully described in The Card Catalog. Starting with the first catalog, a list of titles found on a clay cuneiform tablet in 3000 BC, through the addition of title, subject, and authors to every papyrus scroll in the fabulous Library of Alexandria in 300 BC, the classification of items steadily modified and expanded to eventually provide electronic access to the 16 million books in today's Library of Congress.

Here are some other tidbits from the wonderful The Card Catalog to further fascinate you:

• The backs of ordinary playing cards were the first medium used in 1791 by the French Cataloging Code of 1791 to standardize the size of cards used in all French libraries;

• The Library of Congress was conceived and funded by President John Adams in 1800 to "purchase such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress" beginning with just 728 volumes and 3 maps which were ordered from a London book company. This original shipment of books came with a list of titles, the first Library of Congress catalog;

• After the British burned down the Library of Congress during the War of 1812, Congress restored the library by purchasing Thomas Jefferson's collection of 6,400 volumes. These were organized by Jefferson's unique cataloging subjects of Memory, Reason, Imagination, History, Philosophy, and Fine Arts, broken down into forty-four sub-categories;

• Charles Cutter in 1868 developed a standardized cataloging and individual card system for the Boston Athenaeum (as opposed to the list of titles bound in a single volume which was the practice currently used in the United States). Cutter's system became the basis for the Library of Congress classification;

• In 1899, the Library of Congress made their catalog information and cards available to all US libraries to encourage standardized cataloging nationwide (and save individual librarians from re-creating the same information in every location);

• The Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) was eventually developted to facilitate computerized access and simple updating of information, as well as prevent librarians and the public from drowning in the mass of cards mounting up in all libraries for growing collections. 

I could go on and on with similar gems. There's info about Melvil Dewey, the Supplies Department of the American Library Association (which furnished standardized card, wooden catalog cases, tables, chairs, and all things needed by libraries), the law that required publishers to send two copies of each book they print to the Library of Congress, etc. etc. Each page holds another breath-taking fact, photo, or representation of a historic book title and corresponding card.

While this book may not seem as fascinating to everyone as it does to me, it is definitely worth a look. The Card Catalog is clearly-written with brief text which is easily skim-able to flip through any era or just the historic photos). It is chock full of enough riveting history to capture the fancy of any person interested in the written word and how it came to be organized. Guaranteed.

Happy reading.

Fred

(See more recommended books)
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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Hammer, Joshua. The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts.

The creation of one of the world's premier libraries in Timbuktu, Mali; its destruction by Al Qaeda terrorists; and the efforts made to hide and preserve the books until a new library could be constructed. (previously reviewed here)

The Map Thief

Blanding, Michael. The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps. New York: Doubleday. 2015. Print.

First Sentences:

E. Forbes Smiley III couldn't stop coughing...

The glass fishbowl of the reading room at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript library at Yale University was quiet except for the low hum of the air-conditioning and the clicking of fingers on keyboards, making Smiley painfully aware of the noise he was making.

At one point, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket to muffle the sound. As he did, an X-Acto knife blade wrapped inside fell softly on the carpeted floor. 

Description:

Michael Blanding in his carefully documented The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps tells the true story of E. Forbes Smiley and his thefts of rare maps from the libraries of the world. A map dealer himself, Smiley was considered one of the most knowledgeable men in that field. His persistent research on maps, mapmakers, paper, and history made him a trusted expert and a successful dealer.

But he lived a grandiose lifestyle, buying and selling items on credit, until his debts began to mount. A quick, unplanned theft of a rare map one day provided an easy resolution to his financial problems. With his expertise, he knew the rarest (and most salable) maps, and which one were only loosely tucked into dusty books and unlikely to be missed. After building up a clientele of buyers along with the trust of map librarians worldwide who allowed him to search their fragile collections unobserved, the temptation and reward were too great for him to ignore.

Smiley is caught by police in the opening pages of The Map Thief, freeing the narrative to uncover fascinating background details about Smiley's life, his expertise in maps, and his decision to become a thief. Smiley eventually admitted to stealing over 90 maps and rare documents although experts believe he stole hundreds more.

Author Blanding gives a fascinating history of world exploration, maps, map-making, and even map theft throughout the book. He discusses how maps evolve from their first printing to the next, building on new knowledge and exploration as well as art techniques over the years. Blanding points out the details and design of famous maps, and includes illustrations and photos that give these documents value and unique qualities that lure collectors and thieves alike.

Smiley's story provides a new layer art theft that I had not anticipated: exactly how does a library identify an item that  cannot be stamped, tagged, or otherwise marked (and therefore ruined) by typical ownership methods? It is by the vigilance of people. Blanding reveals that it is often a suspicious map dealer who recognizes the rare item and contacts the library that owns the map to see whether it might be missing. Clever librarians in one case matched up bookworm holes in the stolen map with those existing on previous pages of the book.

Fascinating, scary, historically illuminating, and riveting in its narrative of both the map thief and the worlds that created the irreplaceable documents of history he stole for profit. Highly recommended.

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Dolnick, Edward. The Rescue Artist

Scotland Yard's unique art crime division unravels the theft of Edward Munch's painting, The Scream and other art thefts. (previously reviewed here)

Boser, Ulrich. The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft

Investigation and conclusions about the unsolved art theft from Boston's Isabel Stuart Gardner Museum.