Audiobooks Like The Giver of Stars

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Julia Whelan reads this fourteen-hour Depression-era novel with a warmth that is never saccharine — she gives each of the five women a distinct enough voice that you always know whose perspective you're in, and the Kentucky register comes through without becoming caricature. Four of the picks here are also narrated by Whelan, and the rest score highly with listeners in the same emotionally grounded, women-centered historical fiction space.

10 audiobooks for fans of The Giver of Stars

  1. 1
    The Girl You Left Behind cover

    The Girl You Left Behind

    The Girl You Left Behind • Book 1

    by Jojo Moyes

    Narrated by Clare Corbett, Penny Rawlins

    ★ 4.29 ABR Score (185.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.03 Goodreads (180.9K) ★ 4.53 Audible (4.8K)
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  2. 2
    The Ship of Brides cover

    The Ship of Brides

    by Jojo Moyes

    Narrated by Nicolette McKenzie

    ★ 3.99 ABR Score (54.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.87 Goodreads (52.2K) ★ 4.36 Audible (2.1K)
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  3. 3
    The Women cover

    The Women

    by Kristin Hannah

    Narrated by Julia Whelan, Kristin Hannah

    Why this book?

    Julia Whelan's compelling narration captures the same emotional depth and character-driven storytelling in both audiobooks, while *The Women* echoes *The Giver of Stars* with its exploration of women's agency and hidden histories set against vivid historical backdrops. Both mysteries unfold through intimate perspectives that reveal how ordinary women navigate extraordinary circumstances and challenge the constraints placed upon them.

    ★ 5.00 ABR Score (1.7M ratings)
    ★ 4.59 Goodreads (1.6M) ★ 4.84 Audible (56.8K)
    More about this pick

    Following nurse Frankie McGrath from suburban comfort to Vietnam's chaos, Julia Whelan captures the protagonist's evolution with raw emotional authenticity.

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  4. 4
    The Story She Left Behind cover

    The Story She Left Behind

    by Patti Callahan Henry

    Narrated by Julia Whelan, Theo Solomon

    ★ 4.12 ABR Score (29.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.04 Goodreads (28.8K) ★ 4.51 Audible (451)
    More about this pick

    Julia Whelan and Theo Solomon guide listeners through this dual-timeline mystery about a vanished author and her daughter's decades-later search for answers.

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  5. 5
    The Witches of New York (Ami McKay's Witches) cover

    The Witches of New York (Ami McKay's Witches)

    Witches of New York • Book 1

    by Ami McKay

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    ★ 4.01 ABR Score (34.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.81 Goodreads (29.4K) ★ 4.39 Audible (4.8K)
    More about this pick

    Three women practice witchcraft in 1880s New York, running a tea shop that serves more than just beverages. Victorian-era magic meets feminist themes as these practitioners navigate social expectations and supernatural dangers.

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  6. 6
    The Things We Cannot Say cover

    The Things We Cannot Say

    by Kelly Rimmer

    Narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, Nancy Peterson

    ★ 4.86 ABR Score (319.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.54 Goodreads (284.0K) ★ 4.76 Audible (35.9K)
    More about this pick

    A modern woman discovers her Polish grandmother's wartime secrets while struggling with her own family crisis involving her autistic son. The dual timeline structure works beautifully in audio format, connecting past trauma to present-day healing through intimate family bonds.

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  7. 7
    The Rose Code cover

    The Rose Code

    by Kate Quinn

    Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

    ★ 4.85 ABR Score (406.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.44 Goodreads (381.4K) ★ 4.8 Audible (25.6K)
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  8. 8
    The Book Thief cover

    The Book Thief

    by Markus Zusak

    Narrated by Allan Corduner

    ★ 4.73 ABR Score (2.9M ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (2.9M) ★ 4.64 Audible (34.7K)
    More about this pick

    Narrated by Death himself, this follows young Liesel as she discovers the power of stolen books during Nazi Germany. Allan Corduner balances the narrator's otherworldly perspective with deeply human emotion.

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  9. 9
    The Frozen River cover

    The Frozen River

    by Ariel Lawhon

    Narrated by Jane Oppenheimer, Ariel Lawhon

    ★ 4.71 ABR Score (610.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (594.0K) ★ 4.7 Audible (16.2K)
    More about this pick

    Maine, 1789: midwife Martha Ballard investigates a body frozen in the Kennebec River, using her detailed diary of births, deaths, and town secrets. Jane Oppenheimer's narration captures the cold grip of frontier justice.

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  10. 10
    Homegoing cover

    Homegoing

    by Yaa Gyasi

    Narrated by Dominic Hoffman

    ★ 4.69 ABR Score (421.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.47 Goodreads (410.6K) ★ 4.67 Audible (10.9K)
    More about this pick

    Gyasi traces three centuries from Ghana to America through two family lines, with Dominic Hoffman's narration honoring each generation's distinct voice and struggle.

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The Giver of Stars Best Historical Fiction Audiobooks Most Popular Historical Fiction

How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →