This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl

Thank you Esther for reminding me that while our physical body may struggle, our heart and soul can remain strong. We are not confined to this physical body. This book is heartbreaking. There are times I start to cry and have to close it and come back another time. Yet, the honesty, the insight, and the love contained within make it one of the most touching books I’ve ever read. As a thyroid cancer survivor myself, I struggle with so many messages in our society regarding an individual’s role in illness. Quotes such as this one, “Everything in life is a reflection of a choice you have made. If you want a different result, make a different choice” anger me. Wayne Earl responds to this thinking with his message that mystery is inherent to life. There is not always a reason why something happens. We have lives to lead, and we do our best to lead them with grace, ideally making our own lives, and the lives we brush up against, that much brighter along the way. I love and admire the honesty within this book, from Esther, as well as her parents, friends, and caregivers. Lori and Wayne had grumpy moments, Esther had her doubts, but the thread of love that bound them never frayed. Hardship could not disconnect. THIS is what I take away. I have two young children myself, and the parts dealing with loss of a child are most often the times I have to shut the book and come back. Yet, it is the love all around, this message, that stays with me. Esther felt loved. People can live 100 years without knowing the love that carried Esther during her 16 years here on earth. It is this love that helped bring her through struggles that no one, especially a child, should ever face. It is this love that allows her family to share her words and the personal story of their lives, and that inspires them to support and help other families facing a child’s cancer diagnosis. It is this love I hope to replicate in my own life so that my children may feel loved, whatever they face now, or in the future. And I hope to offer myself this same compassion with regards to the physical limitations and issues I face in conjunction with my diagnosis. For the reviews that dis the “God” parts in the book—I don’t understand how Esther’s faith takes away from the book’s value. As far as to how God could give a young child cancer . . . that is the eternal question. Research shows, though, that rates of faith are highest among the most impoverished parts of the world, perhaps testimony that it is precisely the belief in a higher power and eternal life that sustains and inspires many who suffer and/or struggle. Read it. Be inspired. “Live fully . . . love deeply.”

There is no possible way that I can do justice to this incredible work. I stumbled upon it while browsing the book store by my office for a new book to send to my niece. It was perched on the corner of a table marked "What Teens are Reading" I'm not usually one to pick up autobiographies - especially ones designed for teens (picture any popular teen star's autobiography, written with help from a professional writer), but this was different. This was The Life & Words of Esther Grace Earl and, captivated by the smiling girl on the cover, I thumbed through the pages and decided to give it a try - ok, Esther, you have my attention. I purchased the Kindle version for myself and a hardcover to send to my niece. That same day, I happened to catch a blurb about Amazon's whispersync and how it's Amazon's best kept secret, allowing readers to flip seamlessly between reading and listening to purchased books. I went back and sure enough, I was able to add whispersync to my purchase. I'm so glad I did. Listening to this book added an extra layer of texture - the narration was perfect, particularly the voice given to Esther by narrator Cristina Panfilio, and I loved that the other voices, for example her parents' were their own. Any review or discussion of this book is probably best done in the format of a book club, because it's impossible to capture the many layers of awesomeness that this little girl gave to the world...But, I will say, that perhaps the scene that hangs in the back of my mind and stays with me the most, the scene has tugged at my heartstrings as a mom - is the scene in the airport, where 7 year old Esther, after lugging her suitcase through the airport and being scolded by her dad for being whiny, breaks down in the bathroom, leaves, and then returns to be embraced by her sister --the line that plays in my mind is that the embrace by her sister "felt so good." I loved that she let herself be held. In fact, I loved so much the relationships this little girl forged with her siblings and her parents, all so different, and all so real. Stunningly beautiful.

Who doesn't love Fault in our Stars?! I read it in a day, bawled at the movie. It is John Green's best book! I wanted to read this one as I fell in love with Esther Grace and it was okay! I loved reading about the personal girl who inspired Green to write his amazing story. I think where it fell short for me, and this is not Esther's fault at all, there was no Gus. I loved Gus, I cried forever when Gus died in the book and the movie. I still enjoyed reading this book I just skipped over a lot of the parts where there was the chat posting from the groups and some other areas. Such a strong woman and so sad that she was not around to see how the world loved her!!

This is a heartbreaking but inspiring story about Esther Earl. I happened to know the Dad and Mom from the church Pastor Wayne once served. Pardon my poor English. The first time when Lori talked about Esther, I thought she was talking a girl her foundation supported to fight cancer. There was no question or doubt that Almighty One from her words but love and hope and how we should cherish what we are given. This book encourages me greatly to embrace the life and the memory from readers makes this star last.

Great book

I always pride myself on giving honest reviews and this one, although difficult, will be no different. Firstly, I don't think this would harm anyone to read this book, and for young teens especially I feel it could do them a great deal of good to learn how life has no forever promises. I found Esther to be a normal, happy, very bubbly young girl; very full of life as most teens are. She was dealt an extremely cruel blow by dying of cancer at such a tender age, and that very fact broke my heart for her, her friends and family. No one, no matter what age should die of cancer, particularly one so young! But as a literary book? No, for me this part didn't come together. It was extremely broken, disjointed, and difficult to read as much of it was normal teen chit chat that we all did when young. I also felt, and could be wrong, that the printing of this book was more to make a posthumous wish of Esther's come true. If that was the case, the gesture was a very beautiful one. However, I wish Esther had grown up and then written her book in her very own way. But that is the point. Esther was not given the chance. Read the book. You will gain something from it, but don't have great expectations of mature literary prose. Look for the beauty of a teen growing up amidst absolute chaos of never knowing what will beset her next and the grace with which she handles it. My review is for not only Esther and her family, but for every Mother, Father or family who have lost an Esther. There are far too many. Hug the ones you love!

I've read this book a few times over the years, both before and after I was diagnosed with cancer (which did add to my understanding and empathy of Esther, although my story was very different from hers). Even knowing the end of this story, I still found it so inspiring and powerful. Although the subject matter is depressing, this book is not. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to know more insight into childhood cancer. Plus TSWGO is a great organization to support by buying this book.

I love to read about cancer patients. This is my first non-fiction book on that subject though. I read and loved The Fault in Our Stars, much like I loved this book. But this one is different. Esther is beautiful and funny and unsure and just a normal girl. But she wants so desperately to make a change in the world--unaware that she already has. A few pages in (after reading her family timeline) I was made aware that Esther would be my age if she were alive today, as she was a month older than I. That just seemed to really drive the point home for me. She was exactly as I was at 16, in love with Harry Potter, huge John Green fan, curious of boys and life and all that it had to offer. Reading her story and her writings is a privilege that none of us deserve. This is a book that will make you sob and change your life. It is also full of love and happiness and Grace. She went into her sickness and out of this life with so much love and gracefulness and wisdom. I can't recommend this memoir enough! It is a book unlike any others you've ever read.

This book is a wonderful tribute to the life of Ester Earl as seen through her friends and family as well as in her own writing. Definitely tugs the heartstrings as readers come to realize the value and beauty in the life they are living. Amazon delivered it quickly and in great condition. DFTBA

It's a brilliant, beautiful book. Nerdfighters, you already know why you want to read it! Everybody else, this is a book that makes you pause and be grateful for every little thing you get to be a part of, simply because you are alive.

Le doy 5 estrellas por qué, apenas abrí la caja pude ver lo precioso que era el libro y lo cuidado que llegó, además de que el envío fue realmente rápido y a un costo que lo vale. Aún no he leído el libro pero muero por hacerlo. Oh, antes que lo olvide, la pasta dura es preciosa!! Es mi primer libro así y estoy que muero. Regresando a lo que decía de que muero por leerlo, tuve la oportunidad de hojearlo y es una hermosura por dentro, tiene imágenes preciosas.

[...] I grabbed this book the moment I heard about it, and once I picked it up, it was so darn hard to put down. This book is full of journal entries from Esther's own personal journal, letters from her friends and family, and beautiful photographs. What an amazing book this is. We read Esther's journal entries from finding out she had cancer, until her very last entry: some funny, some happy, some sad, but all are written with true emotion. The book starts with an introduction by author John Green, who dedicated his book (The Fault in our Stars) to Esther after meeting her and befriending her at a Harry Potter Fan conference. The introduction is very sweet and describes what a lovely friendship he had with Esther. The letters from her family and friends are very touching, reading these you can tell she was loved a great deal. Her Eulogy is also in there, who was written and read by her father. If you can get through it without and tears, you are stronger than I am! I have to say I laughed and cried during this book, many tears fell. A beautiful book, and I'd recommend it to everyone.

I only just started reading the book and I can say it has already moved me so much ! It's a good thing for me to read the story of Esther because it brings light and hope and love for me to give to my siblings. I feel connected to her by reading her lines, and that's a wonderful feeling. Must read !