When her best friend Stella Rose dies of cancer, Abby St. Claire--single, independent and wracked by grief--becomes guardian to Stella's teenage daughter, Olivia. Moving from her city apartment to Stella's house in rural Vermont, Abby steps gingerly into her new world, mourning the loss of her friend while trying to care for a teenage girl bereaved and seemingly bent on self-destruction. Through the turbulent first year after Stella's death, Abby and Olivia navigate life without her, sometimes clashing, other times clinging to one another. Their journey is aided by a series of monthly letters Stella left behind for each of them--but even Stella's wisdom can't shield her daughter and her best friend from heartbreak.
Debut novelist Tammy Flanders Hetrick writes Stella Rose in Abby's voice, exploring the complicated emotions of grief: anger, sadness, exasperation, even joy. Stella's monthly letters wind through the book like a ribbon, providing a few touching moments but also highlighting her absence; they can be only a hollow substitute for Stella herself. Abby's job at a local museum and her attraction to two men, and Olivia's struggles at school round out the story, guiding both women through their time of loss and into an exploration of living beyond it. The plot's climax veers toward melodrama, but a supporting cast of down-to-earth characters stabilizes the story and gives both Abby and Olivia a safe place to land.
Warmhearted and sincere, Stella Rose is a sensitive portrait of loss, friendship and the families we choose. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams