Writing letters for patients at the end of their lives in her job at a hospice, Stella has the power to offer hope, pass on memories and build bridges. But in her own life, Stella finds herself unable to reach the one person she lives for - her husband. Returned home injured from Afghanistan, Vincent has become emotionally distant and difficult, and Stella finds herself unable to fix him. Twenty-one-year-old Hope is recuperating at the hospice. Suffering from cystic fibrosis, she understands her own mortality but when she meets fourteen-year-old Issy, she vows to make the most of her second chance at life. Hugh has a great job, a nice house and lives a comfortable, single life but even though he tries to ignore it, there is still a void in his life that was left when his mother died when he was ten. All of these characters are brought together by the hospice, a place not only of pain and sadness but of hope and love. Rowan Coleman has delivered another astounding novel. From the first page, she manages the incredible feat of emotionally engaging her readers and continues to do so until the very last word. In Stella, Hope and Hugh, she creates three completely believable and authentic characters, and as if they are not enough, she punctuates each of their impressive narratives with the often moving, always heartfelt letters from other patients to their loved (and sometimes not loved!) ones. And despite the fact that this novel deals with loss, it's not one long sob-fest, but a beautiful balance between poignant, somber moments and uplifting, hopeful moments. Coleman takes you to the brink one moment and pulls you back the next, but the book's message is not one of despair and angst but aptly hope. I did have some slight misgivings about exactly what Stella sees as being her mistake in her relationship with Vincent, but really this is inconsequential in the wider context. For this is a memorable, brilliant book that celebrates love rather than mourns death. (JC)
We Are All Made of Stars, by Rowan Coleman, is a story of life, loss and looking up. The summary says: "Do not miss me, because I will always be with you...I am the air, the moon, the stars. For we are all made of stars, my beloved... Wherever you look, I will be there. Stella Carey exists in a world of night. Married to a soldier who has returned from Afghanistan injured in body and mind, she leaves the house every evening as Vincent locks himself away, along with the secrets he brought home from the war. During her nursing shifts, Stella writes letters for her patients to their loved ones - some full of humour, love and practical advice, others steeped in regret or pain - and promises to post these messages after their deaths. Until one night Stella writes the letter that could give her patient one last chance at redemption, if she delivers it in time..." We Are All Made of Stars is out in May 2015.