Star by Star

by Sheena Wilkinson

Stella has always looked forward to changing the world. It’s what she was brought up to do, by a suffragette mother who knew all about fighting and rebellion. But it’s November 1918. The great flu pandemic sweeping the world has robbed Stella of her mother and her home, and she’s alone in a strange country, with an aunt she’s never met.

But change is coming – the war is over, and women are about to vote for the first time. History is being made, but how can she help make it? As election day approaches, a day that will transform Ireland forever, Stella realises that she can indeed change the world. Not alone, and not all at once. But just as stars come one by one to brighten the night sky, so history is made person by person, girl by girl.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Book Club, Ireland

180 pages, Paperback

Published October 26, 2017

About the author

Described in The Irish Times as 'one of our foremost writers for young people', Sheena Wilkinson is the author of eight acclaimed YA novels. She has won many awards for these, and for her short fiction. Her first adult novel, Mrs Hart's Marriage Bureau, a historical romantic comedy, is published by HarperCollins Ireland.

Reviews

[karla_bookishlife · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving coming-of-age story aimed at young adults that mixes history, politics, and family struggles in a way that feels authentic and accessible.Star by Star by Sheena Wilkinso follows 15-year-old Stella in 1918, just after World War I , making this both a turbulent time in history and in her personal life. Her mother has died during the flu pandemic, and Stella must leave Manchester to live with relatives in Northern Ireland. Stella's mother had been a suffragette, so she grows up believing she should help change the world. Stella feels believable and modern in the way she questions unfairness, struggles with grief, and tries to work out who she wants to become. Stella is determined and intelligent, but she makes mistakes and learns from them, which makes her easy to connect with. One of the strongest parts of the book is the atmosphere. The post-World War I setting, the flu pandemic, and the political changes happening in Ireland all shape the story naturally without making it hard to follow. The historical details are interesting but never overwhelming.The pacing is fairly gentle. It focuses more on emotions, relationships, and ideas rather than dramatic twists. Overall, it’s an emotive coming-of-age tale that mixes history, politics, and family struggles in a way that feels authentic and accessible.

[Belinda Carvalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars here

When I picked this up from the Book Trust's school library book pack and I saw, set in Ireland 1918, based on the suffragette movement, my first thoughts were, this looks interesting, but will students be attracted? They were, and picked it for our Book Group!
It's the story of sweet and plucky Stella, an older teen who loses her political mother to the flu crisis. Her mother's dying wish is that Stella moves back to live with her Aunt Nancy, in a boarding house by the sea in Ulster. Stella is a modern suffragette, she's never even met her aunt, is moving to a small Irish town going to be a bad move?
This is the best kind of historical fiction which just so happens to be YA. It fizzes and sparkles! Sheena Wilkinson has kept the characters fresh and modern and they jump off the page, pulling you into the flu epidemic and the latter days of World War One and how a young lady could have been affected by them. A perfect mix of the events of the time, mixed with strong storytelling. Heartbreaking things happened but they are tackled head-on yet sensitively.
Stella is a really positive girl, a 'fixer' of sorts, she is determined to help shell-shocked Sandy, a convalescing army veteran who is hiding away int he boarding house. They have a touching friendship and help each other in a lot of ways. She is also determined to track down her mother's best friend Rose and have a reconciliation with her.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I felt slightly more could have been developed in the plot-line about Helen/Sandy and Stella's parentage but otherwise this is a great length and a pretty wonderful snapshot into a forgotten history. I will be reading more of this author! Well done to her and Little Island Press.

[Serena Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is refreshing to read a novel aimed at young teenage girls that doesn’t have a romantic plot anywhere in sight. Fifteen-year-old Stella is a strong, feisty heroine who values female friendship, and has been brought up surrounded by strong female role models. Stella makes her way, alone, from the grubby streets of Manchester to a small seaside town in Co. Down, after the death of her mother from influenza. Her mother moved to Manchester when she found herself single and pregnant. She brought Stella up to fight for what she believes in, taking part in the suffrage movement there. Stella creates a role for herself in the sea-side boarding house run by her aunt Nancy, making herself useful. While Stella doesn’t always get things right, her strength and passion carry her through. Wilkinson is not afraid to tackle the difficult historical situation Ireland was in at the time and she tackles these issues with great subtlety.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. Suffragettes WWI and medical history all in one.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blurb

A new edition of an invigorating tale of suffragettes and heroes, courage and survival, as World War One ends, a pandemic sweeps the land – and women get to vote!
Stella has always looked forward to changing the world. It’s what she was brought up to do, by a suffragette mother who knew all about fighting and rebellion. But it’s November 1918. The great flu pandemic sweeping the world has robbed Stella of her mother and her home, and she’s alone in a strange country, with an aunt she’s never met.
But change is coming – the war is over, and women are about to vote for the first time. History is being made, but how can she help make it? As election day approaches, a day that will transform Ireland forever, Stella realises that she can indeed change the world. Not alone, and not all at once. But just as stars come one by one to brighten the night sky, so history is made person by person, girl by girl.

My Review

I loved this book from the very first page. I loved how it mixed three different aspects of the historical period it was set in, the suffragette movement and votes for women, the Spanish Flu, and the end of World War I and the psychological damage it did to soldiers who fought in the war.

It sets off with Stella moving to Ireland to live with family following the death of her suffragette mother from the Spanish flu. I felt through the book we got to know Stella well and the initially strange friendship she developed with the ex-soldier who was also living in the house, although living may not be the right word with the psychological damage he was suffering from as a result of the war. Through her relationship she was helping him to almost be re-born and to step foot outside of his room, which had really become like a prison cell to him.

Whilst this was going on, you had the upcoming election, which although Stella wouldn’t be able to vote in she wanted to help out and ensure those that could votes were able to vote. What hit me most was the strict rules that were in place and how only a small proportion of women were able to vote, and how the women were seen as almost the possessions of their husbands. This message hit hard for me and I wasn’t aware how restrictive votes for women (once they had won them) were.

I found this a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable book that I didn’t want to put down. I feel this would be a good book to read with a class as it would definitely spark plenty of discussion on the central and key themes. I thoroughly recommend this book and I look forward to exploring other books by the author. My only disappointment is that it all ended too soon, and I wanted more. I’d love there to be a sequel to this book as I love to find out what happened to the two main characters in the book.

Book Details

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Category: Young Adult
Publisher: Little Island
Number of Pages: 163 Pages
Publication Date: May 21, 2026 (this edition)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/8...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Star-Sheena-Wil... (Canada) https://a.co/d/0b8OhxPI (USA) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Sheena-... (UK)

About the Author

Sheena Wilkinson is one of Ireland’s most acclaimed writers of fiction for young people. She has previously published seven other novels with Little Island Books, winning such awards as Book of the Year, Honour Award for Fiction and Children’s Choice at the Children’s Books Ireland awards, a White Raven and a place on the IBBY Honour List. She lives in Co Down, Northern Ireland, and is a full-time writer.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star by Star is reminiscent of Anne Shirley, as Stella discovers a new, quieter world after moments of turbulence. Exuberant, driven, empathetic. Sometimes she doesn't make the wisest decisions, but the heart is there. And like Anne, the loyalty to others is high.

Incorporating the end of World War 1, influenza, and the right to vote feels timely. There's a sense of unity as politics slip and slide for the new generation. It's a chance to see how momentum isn't just a single grand action.

And that independence, whether national or personal, isn't an insignificant matter. Pushing for visibility and rights are universal.

Thanks to Little Island Books and Sheena Wilkinson for the chance to read a time frame that isn't always seen. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Note: this seems to be a reprint.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of historical fiction I was immediately willing to participate in the book tour to promote this book and was not disappointed. The book is an engaging read and one that I believe will promote much discussion between YA readers. I most certainly will be purchasing copies for my great-nieces as I would love to hear their thoughts on Stella's character and story.
Refreshingly, Stella remains a strong protagonist throughout, despite her youth and the author enables her to touch upon serious issues of the time, including how strictly women's rights to vote were restricted. I also love how the author has managed to include key historical aspects including the end of WW1 and the psychological impact on those that fought as well as the fear driven by the outbreak of the Spanish Flu. I would have loved for the story to have the premise of a sequel as in my mind, it finished all too soon. However, this is a brilliantly engaging read and a wonderfully crafted story

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read from this author, but won’t be my last. Young adults intended audience and well researched and written for that age group. Set in the north of Ireland before it became Northern Ireland and a light touch of war and politics to educate and inform. The characters come to life and the story deals with truth, feminism, class and identity in an accessible narrative. Well worth a read.

[Fatima Zahra · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWI, the flu, and the suffrage movement all in one. While being a short book, I learnt so much and can’t even fathom the strong amazing women who fought so hard to give us what we have now.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book about a part of history that's often overlooked - the Suffragette movement in Ireland, and how it was affected by all the other factors in play at the time; from the end of WWI to the rumblings of the War of Independence to come. What stands out especially though is the long-forgotten effect the pandemic known as the 'Spanish Flu' had; some estimates say a third of the world's population was infected by it, and that up to 6% of the global population died from it.
Ireland and Britain were hit as much as anywhere, and the terror and devastation it brought is vividly portrayed in Star by Star.
An engaging book about a fascinating time - with a brilliant, sparky protagonist in Stella!

[Susan Lanigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellently written WW1 fiction, read in a day. Recently orphaned after the traumatic experience of witnessing her suffragist mother die of Spanish flu, sixteen year old Stella returns to her family's village in northern Ireland to stay at her aunt Nancy's guesthouse, Cliffside. There she gets to know the guests: Sandy Reid, a shell-shocked army captain, Kit, a VAD nurse in the convalescent home down the road, the warm hearted Miss McKay.

I found Stella's personality troubling though that didn't stop me hoovering this up. She promises to do housework for Nancy after the maid leaves due to family illness, but then abandons this and leaves Nancy in the lurch to pursue her other project: helping her late mother's friend, Rose Sullivan, who lives nearby in relative poverty. But this help has strings attached: Rose and her husband are Catholics and when he objects to Stella's donation of that day's Belfast Telegraph, she gives him a petulant tongue lashing which seems out of place given her charity was unrequested in the first place. She steals Kit's bike repeatedly, after being asked after the first time to stop, and seriously damages it the second time. She teases the annoying Mrs Phillips in front of Nancy, in Mrs Phillips's room, even though Nancy begs her not to, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Nancy depends on Mrs Phillips for some of her income. Her intrusions on Sandy's privacy, implicitly hinted at being a vital part of his rehabilitation, are actually quite unpleasant to read sometimes. At best, she has no concept of other people's boundaries; at worst she doesn't really care. I was shouting at the page a few times, especially when on hearing of a relative's illness late on in the novel when her response is completely crass.

That said, Stella is very young and dealing with a horrible bereavement and resultant trauma, so this can be understood through that lens. Also at the 85 per cent mark, somewhat of a turnabout takes place as Stella confronts her own unresolved demons. The country, culture and background are beautifully done. And the long-running consequences of war on the home front are never clearer. Superior YA and a vivid read.

[Sophie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was difficult to rate. Wilkinson creates a world which you want to know and she creates characters which are super likeable. However, she tackles quite intense topics but just with broad strokes. The book almost feels like it's about these lovely people and somehow everything else is just shoehorned in. I get that the period of time where its set had all this stuff going on but the story doesn't represent it as fluid. Each dinner conversation just seems to be tackling a serious issue and then the next chapters are about gardening and getting to know people.

Ultimately, the forced nature of some of the topics is what made me give this book a lower score. The writing was great and the cast even more so! But the political elements such as Ireland separating and feminism felt forced at times. The conversations about the flu and the war were a bit better incorporated as they were passing events.

Yet, despite being frustrated with it at times it's a book I've not stopped thinking about. I loved the seaside setting, the mad car driving, Nancy, Sandy and of course Stella. I keep wondering what they did next and what happened with Stella and her feminism fight. Somewhere in my angst about the issues, I started to care about them through the cast and I was slightly sad when it ended. It just seemed to end in the middle of everything and you don't have any closure. It's a bit odd and annoying as you don't know how each story ends, but then again, with stories like this, there can't be an end as its just a segment from their lives. But if Wilkinson picked up Stella again I'd be curious to see where she sent with it.

[ReadingMom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheena Wilkinsons is exactly what YA historical fiction should be. It perfectly captures the turbulent times 1918 Ireland in the wake of the Great War and during a pandemic which followed on from it. I really liked her writing style, she has a lovely way of settling you in to the story and describing things in and evocative but not overly flowery way.

The heart of the novel is of course Stella, a strong willed and compelling young woman, headstrong in fact and probably overly idealistic, but you like her all the more for it. At least I did. I could see others not being so keen and even finding her annoying, but her imperfections are what made her appealing. After all you don’t have to like Scarlett O Hara to think she is an awesome character.

I thought Wilkinsons skills were also on display in the deft way she weaved the politics into the story. Obviously a lot of research was done and these really were times of big upheavals in Ireland. Stella’s determination to support the suffrage movement I think was particularly well done, after all it was not shrinking violets who made this happen. It was women who were determined and even singleminded. I think is a five star read and I hope Little Island have a great success with it! Thank you to the write reads for sending me the book. Great to see Irish publishers and promoters working hand in hand to support Irish authors more of this please!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. The setting was great, the first world war, Ireland, the suffragettes, the Spanish flu etc. The historical research the author must have put in was on display and the writing is really engaging.

However I didn’t like the main character.

At first I was on board with Stella, but as it went along I found her more and more unlikable. Now, I know not liking a character doesn’t equal not liking the book, but it is just harder to really get into it when the main character is irritating you. I found that she did things which were straight up nasty at times, and she seemed to want to control other people’s opinions and lives and was very quick to anger when people dared disagree with her and stuff. I get that the author wanted to make her ‘feisty’ and ‘strong’ but I think the author pushed her too far into dislikable territory.

Ok this sounds like I didn’t like the book, but actually I did. As I said the writing was very good, and I loved the setting and I read it in just two days. I was just rolling my eyes at Stella a few times!

4 stars, recommended and would have been 5 if the main character had been toned down a bit. Thank you LittleIsland and writereads for my arc.

[Max Andrieux · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first free bookshelf book!

I did somewhat enjoy this book, it was a very easy read and clearly aimed at a younger audience than myself - but somewhat enjoyable nevertheless. My Irish History is also pretty bare so picked up some nice bits of information on the way too. The PTSD described was incredibly simplified but that might have just been to me.

The book isn’t very challenging in any way despite dealing with complex topics regularly. However this does make sense for the main character, she is 16 and her opinions are the regurgitated opinions of those who were important to her growing up. She has very strong opinions on things she doesn’t fully understand - which is what I think the book does best. It really does capture the essence of the rebellious phase you can go through as a young person where you challenge everything and everyone because there seems to be a clear right way.

It was a decent read, it was easy but gave my little bits of information well and built characters nicely. The pace could be a bit off and the main character doesn’t really show much growth. A 2.5-3 star read, would recommend for a 13-16 year old

[Lyzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet, thoughtful historical read.

It took me a little while to fully connect with the writing style, as it felt a little bit distant at first, but I loved what the story was doing. The emotional moments kind of sneak up on you but when they land, they really do land.

I especially loved the focus on women’s rights and the lead-up to the first election where some women (only householders over 30) could vote. It was such a good reminder of how hard the suffragettes fought for that right, and how easy it is to take something like voting for granted now. A good reminder that voting is less of an inconvenience and more of a privilege!

Stella is a strong, determined character with a clear sense of right and wrong, and I think she would be especially relatable for younger readers. The relationships she forms, particularly with Sandy, were lovely and really nicely done.

The ending did feel a little abrupt, and I would have loved just a bit more closure, but overall, this was a meaningful and well-handled story. I think it’s a great historical novel for its target audience, and one I would have appreciated a lot at Stella’s age. I think readers of any age can take something from this one.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this as part of a tour with The Write Reads.

The book’s protagonist is Stella, and something about her went to my heart from the beginning. She was fifteen years old and had no one left to look out for her, but she seemed strong and independent. I think some part of me tried to identify with her a little bit, because even as adults, we can still remember what it feels like to be a teenager and not very sure of ourselves.

To begin with, I thought this might be a light-hearted, easy read, but as the story progressed, I connected with it on a deeper level, as I thought about what the characters were going through. It was an inspiring story though, and I found it heartwarming to follow Stella's journey.

I also appreciated the story in a historical context, thinking about the significance of both the influenza pandemic and the work of the suffragettes. It's been a while since I read a historical book that was set in this sort of time period, so I enjoyed it.

Thank you to The Write Reads, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stella lost her mother to the great flu ranging on throughout England and Ireland both, during the first world war. Setting off for where her mother used to know in Ireland and being expected there were she meets Sandy and an array of older women whom love together in a sort of lodging house together.



Sandy is an soldier of war and Stella helps him to re focus his life as he helps her garden and later helps a local couple too. As women start to be able to vote and the war ends, tragedy stills strikes....



This is a heartbreaking story about coping with illness and war and I could imagine all the grief and joy they feel over the events that happen during the book. Something that tickles me about the book is a coincidence that main character Stella Graham is actually a name comprising of both my parents first names! A coincidence which have us all a laugh but at the same time very wartime esque appropriate!

[Isobel Ramsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Ireland in 1918, this novel packs a lot of history into just 180 pages - the end of WW1, women voting for the first time, the flu pandemic and the fight for Irish independence. It tells the story of fifteen-year-old Stella, who goes to live with her aunt in Ireland after her mother dies of the flu. Stella is full of passion to change the world for the better, starting with women's suffrage, but struggles to find an outlet for her energy and ambitions in the quiet village of Cuanbeg and with the flu pandemic raging throughout Ireland. She helps out in her aunt's boarding house and on a local farm, making a difference in ways she hadn't initially expected.

This is a really engaging book - I read it in a day. I liked the characterisation and the way Stella's energy and 'modern' ideas cause waves in the small community of Cuanbeg. The friendship between Stella and the wounded WW1 veteran is sensitively portrayed. And it opened my eyes to the terrible impact of the 1918-19 flu pandemic.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and promoter for a digital copy of this!

Star by Star by Sheena Wilkinson is a historical fiction set around the end of WWI,a pandemic and political upheavals, most especially the suffragette movement.

The first thing I will say is that though when I saw it I fancied it, it is definitely more of a women’s book. The main character Stella is your typical plucky teen, she had a powerful mother who was politically active in the suffragette movement but who doesn’t survive the post war pandemic. Stella proceeds to continue pushing that legacy. After her mother dies she moves in with her Aunt where she in my opinion performs many action which seem a bit callous. I have to say I didn’t really like Stella all that much, but she did feel real.

Overall though it kept me reading to the end and I think it will very much appeal its target audience: female readers who enjoy YA and historical fiction

[Sam Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There's more than one kind of bravery"

I couldn't put this book down.
YA Fiction based on truth.
Its 1918, the war has not ended yet. Stella is 15 and has lived in Manchester with her mother all of her life. Spanish Flu is killing more people over the world than the war is and Stella's mother was one of them to die. She travels to Ireland to live with her only living relative, her aunt, who she has never met.
Ireland is very different to the busy, forward thinking Manchester Stella is use to. Her mother, an active suffragette had brought up a strong, independent thinking young lady, behaviour not expected or tolerated of girls in Ireland.
This short but concise story has lively, lovable quirky characters, each with their own thoughts on the war, women's right to vote and Irish Independence as well as dealing with the harsh realities of living through a war.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to rate. On the one hand, it’s a story about a young girl set in my neck of the woods - something I’ve rarely seen. On the other, it’s very clear that this book wasn’t meant for me, but instead someone much, much younger. A lot of things were glossed over or just touched on briefly, as if the author knew it might be too complicated for her targeted reader.

I also found Stella quite insufferable. Everything she did or planned to do was all about how SHE would feel about it, and she doesn’t dwell when she’s wrong.

15 she might be, but it’s very obvious she was main character in her own world and everyone was there to further her story and didn’t have lives of their own. I kept waiting for her to figure it out, but alas, that feeling was only solidified by the end.

Overall, I’m glad I read it, but it was disappointing.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This provides a fascinating insight into a period of history which saw great turbulence as well as great social change. Those events affected individuals just as profoundly as they affected society as a whole.

And we understand this by following the story of Stella, who finds herself in an unknown country in unfamiliar circumstances but manages to rise above challenging circumstances.

Set against the backdrop of the 1918 flu epidemic, Stella takes inspiration from the progress of the suffragette movement and it helps her to keep forging her way forward.

Many readers will find that Stella's story resonates, as much as it reminds us of how far we have come - even if we have some distance yet to go! It easily earns 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[HelensBookShelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1918 Ireland Star by Star is the story of Stella a fiery and idealistic 15 yearold who is a flawed but engaging as a lead character. She is orphaned by the flu pandemic which is ravaging Europe and goes to live with her aunt.

I loved the setting and loved the writing though Stella comes across in a way that I think some may not find likable, she is very opinionated, sometimes mean, always vocal. Indeed I myself am not sure I ever really warmed to her, but I didn't dislike her as I found her believable.

The novel talks a lot about politics and suffrage. I think most with an interest in the period would find that interesting. for me it was a good four star read. It never really brought me to great emotional highs or lows, but did keep me reading all the way to the end. Thank you thewritereads!

[Denise Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1918 Ireland, orphan Stella travels from England to live with her aunt, following her mother’s death from the flu pandemic sweeping the world. There are three things on her mind: the Great War; flu; and women’s suffrage, as women over 30 who are householders or married to householders have just been given the vote. Arriving in Ireland, another thing is added - Irish independence.

This is a great book about politics and suffrage, set against the background of the Spanish flu pandemic. I knew little about Ireland’s fight for independence but this book explains it through the views of several characters in a way that is easy to understand. A good story which I read in one sitting.

[GirlLovesto Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star by Star is set right at the end of the First World War. Ireland has gone though crazy levels of social and political turmoil and a huge Spanish Flu pandemic is further ravaging the country. The main character, Stella, is very straight forward in many ways, maybe she misses the nuances that others see but what she believes in she believes in passionately. It makes her a sometimes frustrating but always highly engaging character. I found the details of the suffragettes movement to be compelling and I also enjoyed the strong female presence and role models throughout. Big thank you to writereads and little island for my copy

[Lisa Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of YA books, but this one tackled some difficult subjec ts (war, sickness, death, PTSD, etc.) while managing to stay appropriate for younger readers.

Stella manages to help Sandy with his PTSD, while she is dealing with her own in regards to her mother. While the book is sometimes depressing and it feels like the characters are stuck in an apocalyptic world, it also showcases the determination and will power that young women of that time needed to get by. While sad, the story is also incredibly uplifting in showing how the suffragette movement granted women some of the rights we take for granted today.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Sheena Wilkinson's 'Name Upon Name', so I was delighted to hear she was writing more historical fiction. Set in 1918 and dealing with WWI, the flu pandemic and suffrage, this is a very interesting read. Stella is a plucky and likeable heroine, and this is an empowering read about wanting to make a change in the world. Highly recommended to fans of 'Name Upon Name' and 'The Making of Mollie' by Anna Carey, and any reader looking for an enjoyable and engaging feminist read. For readers aged 10+

[Elizabeth Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flu, war and the vote. A few weeks in Ireland 1918

Beautifully written, Star by Star chronicles huge changes in the life of a suffragette's daughter. As the Great War crawls towards its end, Stella, an outsider, bereaved and politically aware, arrives in an Irish community. Spanish flu, and the fear of it, permeates the area. A vivid picture of politics and prejudice, a harrowing twist to the plot, and a message of hope. I was left wanting to find out more about the subjects covered, especially the effects of the flu pandemic on communities already shattered by the war.

[Lisa Friel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set just at the very end of the First World War, this story highlights other events which were also afflicting the world at the time - the flu pandemic, the struggle for an independent Ireland and universal suffrage. It is told through the eyes of Stella, who sees the world much more in black and white than the shades of grey lived by the more mature people around her, but who blazes through in an effort to put things right for the people around her. She could have been irritating but has a brutally honest charm which ultimately shines through.