Book review: Award-winning Summit publication helps us understand life’s biggest lessons
We Are the Stars: A misfit’s story of love, connection and the glorious power of letting go by Gina Chick is an exceptionally moving memoir.
From her wildly unconventional Australian childhood, Chick blazed her own trail through nightclubs, debt, wilderness, cancer, birth, death and more.
This Summit (Simon and Schuster) memoir took out the Australian Book Industry Awards Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year and follows on from her win of inaugural reality television series Alone Australia.
So keep reading to find out more about Chick, her book and how she can inspire life-story creating.
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What We Are the Stars is about?
We Are the Stars is 448 pages and begins when Chick is a young girl growing up with her teacher parents plus two younger sisters on the beautifully wild South Coast of New South Wales.
Soon she moves to Sydney and eventually meets her husband Lee at a tracker camp in the United States of America.
Not long after Chick is diagnosed with breast cancer and gives birth to their daughter, Blaise, who develops cancer and dies at age 3.
Later the pair separate and Chick finds new purpose by teaching rewilding and dance.
“I remember waking with Lee in his tipi, to the spectral sounds of a village. A decade later, here it is. Here we are. He smiles at me across the fire, and I could not love him more.”
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Interesting stories from We Are the Stars
We Are the Stars reveals many interesting stories for us as readers.
For example, Chick’s grandmother was famous Australian writer Charmian Clift who gave up her daughter, Chick’s mother Suzanne, for adoption at birth.
We also learn that Chick and Hugh Jackman met at university in Sydney and have stayed friends after he became famous in Hollywood.
Most importantly, however, is the life lesson that Chick teaches us: that grief is a gift we must say “yes” to.
“She is the egg that hatched into a billion stars and so am I and so are you, and this is our dance, to keep turning up, over and over, saying yes to however much of it as we can…”
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Tips from We Are the Stars
There is much life-story creators can learn from We Are the Stars.
Firstly, Gina didn’t need writing experience or permission to start writing a book about her life so neither do you!
Also that a life story need not be one long timeline of your life but can be split up into chapters on key memories and events.
Finally, read Chick’s book for wonderful examples of sensory writing that makes readers soar and float through her many travels and life lessons.
“Hospital memories fade like coral tree leaves under the relentless scouring tongue of the dry season, to blow away in the sea breeze.”
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Final say
We Are the Stars: A misfit’s story of love, connection and the glorious power of letting go by Gina Chick is a wild and adventurous life story.
But it is also a deep memoir about the Alone Australia 2023 winner embracing life no matter what.
So read this memoir to learn what it is like to run with the wolf pack.
And importantly how to live life in wonder and peace.
Happy creating!
“And if all else fails, may you go outside, look up and remember that the atoms that bind you first grew in the heart of a star.”
*Please note: If you are affected by this story and want to seek assistance, see: 1800RESPECT, Kids Help Line, Lifeline, Beyondblue.
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Your say
Chick loved reading The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling when she was a youngster. What was your favourite book as a kid? I always love hearing from different people. Drop me an email or leave a reply in the comments section at the end of this article.
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