Author: Eleanor RayModern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)Published on 5 February 2026 by Little, Brown Book Group (Piatkus Books) in the United Kingdom.Paperback | 288 pages196 x 126 x 21 | 200g Do you ever feel that life isn't going to plan?When Alice Thorington collapses in the street after a particularly hellish day at work, she must finally admit to herself that her outwardly happy life - steady relationship, well-paid job, beautiful flat in the city - isn't everything she'd hoped it would be. Burnt out by long hours and living a life that doesn't fulfil her dreams, Alice returns home to Yorkshire.Her childhood home brings complicated family dynamics, a rediscovery of her passion for stargazing and two new friends: Berti, a boy who finds it easier to count the stars than interact with people, and Matt, her brother's best friend and Alice's teenage crush. With each of them facing their own struggles, can the stars that meant so much to Alice in her past help them to find their way in the present?Filled with heart and warmth, this uplifting novel reminds us all that we need the darkness if we want to see the stars.PRAISE FOR ELEANOR RAY'S DEBUT NOVEL, Everything Is Beautiful: 'This book took hold of me and wouldn't let me go until I turned the final page' BETH O'LEARY 'Funny, tender and uplifting' BBC RADIO 4 'Beautifully written and thought-provoking' KATIE FFORDE 'This is one of those books you just want to gulp down in one' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'Like the objects Amy collects, this novel is a treasure all of its own' Woman 'A joy to read, and very beautiful indeed' Lisa Dickenson 'A total treat of a read - warm, enchanting and intriguing, with an unforgettable protagonist at its heart' Holly Miller
