We Are All Made of Stars- Rowan Coleman

The Blurb

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…

The Review

Told through scenes from multiple viewpoints and a series of letters, We Are All Made of Stars is a wonderfully evocative novel about life and love.  Rowan Coleman has an incredible talent for writing books which cover all bases- humour, romance, drama, emotion- and her latest release continues in this vein.

Stella, the nurse who writes letters for terminally ill patients, was such an endearing character, I couldn't help but warm to her.  She has this sharp perception when it comes to other people's lives, yet in her own she's almost plodding along and unable to make the changes she longs for in order to reignite her marriage. 

Through the letters Stella writes, often revealing her patients innermost thoughts and secrets, the plot of the novel slowly becomes clear, the links between the characters more apparent and the story unfolds.  That sounds a bit woolly, I know, but I don't want to spoil the beauty of this book for anyone who might be thinking about reading it!  What I will say is that We Are All Made of Stars made me want to reach out and hug everyone I love, to let them know just how much they mean to me. 

Whilst the story itself is touching, it's the letters that make this book.  Letters where parents open up to their children, where lovers share their emotions, where apologies are made for the mistakes of the past.  They are somehow both tender and hard-hitting, and that's why I sobbed uncontrollably as I read this book.  They are everything you want to say to the people you value, and everything you hope you will know when those you love die.  These letters blew my mind.

We Are All Made of Stars is an incredibly uplifting read, despite the sensitive themes.  Much like The Memory Book, this will stay with me long after the final page, and that to me is the sign of a very special novel, and a very special author.  Rowan Coleman- you little star.