We Are All Made Of Stars By Rowan Coleman

[amazon_link id=”0091951380″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]‘We Are All Made Of Stars’ is Rowan Coleman’s latest book.

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…

Rowan Coleman has a special gift of writing an incredibly witty and heartbreaking tale that tugs at your heartstrings and usually leave you in a bawling mess in a public place and ‘We Are All Made of Stars’ was no different.

The story is primarily seen through the narrative of Stella Carey, a hospice nurse who works long hours, to provide the disaster that is her life. Heartbroken that her marriage is falling apart and the love of her life, Vincent is pushing her further away, as he deals with being injured in Afghanistan, losing a limb and his best friend, he blames himself for the death and takes his anger out on Stella. Even though the hospice is depressing and filled with pain and fear, Stella finds solace in her job and she has helped the patients with dealing with their impending deaths, by writing letters for their loved ones or people that they have encountered over the years and when the person has passed away, the letter is then passed on, leaving a little bit of hope and happiness behind.

Hope, is a young woman who hasn’t properly lived her life, burdened with Cystic Fibrosis, everyday is a struggle and a fear that she will become much more ill, she has come to the hospice for respite. Her best friend Ben is there for her, with his lust for life and for her, they have a fun and happy relationship where they both look out for each other, he makes her smile and she helps him escape from the drama of his depressed mother and abusive stepfather. The pair of them made me laugh and smile throughout the story, as they became closer and he visited her daily, not only brightening her day but also the residents of the hospice. And finally there is Hugh, a quiet, meek man who lives alone with his cat, Jake. He lives a lonely life, after his father died but he has an even deeper sadness in heart as when he was a child, his mother left them without a proper explanation. Years later, he receives a sudden letter that might change but that he only if he acts on it and doesn’t leave it too late.

Although the setting of the story is quite depressive, Rowan has successfully achieved to write a story in that location that is filled with hope and I’m not just talking about one of the main characters. The plot flows at an emotionally moving and delicate pace, that really gripped my attention but with every sad moment, there is a lighter element that lifts the readers attention. The addition of the residents letters throughout the story made for particularly interesting reading, in some letters people poured their hearts out, whilst others had a little rant or told funny stories, regularly I found myself wiping a tear from my eye. The story is filled with genuinely entertaining, warm and gentle characters that I had a strong empathy with, ‘We Are All Made Of Stars’ is an inspirational and loving story that is all about never giving up and made for addictive reading.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”0091951380″ target=”_blank” ] We Are All Made of Stars from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.