“Under the Same Stars” by Alexandra Heminsley, published by little,brownbookgroup.

This will be the caption on my Instagram post for “Under the Same Stars”. The primary image for this post will be of the book itself, taken from the littlebrownbookgroup_uk Instagram. It will be published no sooner than 08/07/2022, in line with the agreement from the publishing house.

When Clara’s father passes away suddenly she has more than just his death to reckon with. The discovery of a well kept family secret leads her to the edge of the world, and in many ways home to herself.

This is a book that starts with an ending and ends with a new beginning. Clever and artfully done; I enjoyed Clara’s journey of self discovery as she struggled with the aftermath of her father’s death and the secret it uncovered. We journey from her restrained life in London to a remote and wild island off the Norwegian coast. This is a book that in many ways examines what it is to mourn, to love and to be lost. It strikes the perfect balance of being an engaging and absorbing read whilst never becoming overly heavy. It has a satisfyingly slow build before an emotional ending that is both cathartic and rewarding. I loved the environments explored and how the characters moved through and interacted with the landscapes; how at times the very sea mirrored them.

5/5 and for me is solidly a keeper. I know I will return to this story again
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My thanks to @netgalley , @littlebrownbookgroup_uk, @hemmograms for the E-arc. It was an absolute pleasure.

Relevant hashtags for irishbookstgram and bookstagram will be used, alongside #UndertheSameStars #AlexandraHeminsley #netgalley #littlebrownbookgroupuk. I will also tag the publisher and author in the post.

The section below will appear as a slide on my Instagram post. (First image will be of the book, taken from @littlebrownbookgroupuk Instagram, 2nd slide/ image will be what is contained below.)

“Under the Same Stars” By Alexandra Heminsley
Read it if:
- You appreciate just how complicated families can be and how we all know different versions of one another.
- You know what a beast grief can be and how mourning is a sea with its own tides and swells.
- You like vividly depicted characters that contrast and blend with each other beautifully; all set in an environment that cleverly mirrors the same.
- Books that place an unflinching gaze on the expectations of womanhood, the compromises
women make to fulfil them and how often they have to be untangled later.

This review will be posted on: https://instagram.com/swearbythebooks?utm_medium=copy_link