“People live, people die, so why love at all? When everything is so fragile? When the people you love can just disappear?” Esther Wilding asks her family member, Abelone, as she struggles to forget the scars her older sister, Aura, left behind after she’d gone missing.

From the Australian author Holly Ringland, The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding follows the main character, Esther, as she navigates the disappearance of her older sister. Ever since Aura was last seen walking out to sea, her family has been left with mysteries surrounding her life before she left home. Ringland’s book delicately weaves together a story of loss, healing, and remembrance, giving us a glimpse into how a family struggles to move on after a devastating incident. As the story progresses, we walk through Esther’s shoes as she learns more and more about Aura’s secret world by reading her old journal filled with pictures and verses that were tattooed down her spine, capturing moments from her life. Following these poetic verses as clues, Esther goes on a search to Denmark to fill in the gaps within her sister’s story, going on a journey of grief and acceptance as she finds out about the whole other world Aura had on her travels and finds her own slice of magic there, too. From learning about a devastating miscarriage her sister went through to discovering her sister’s ex-fiancé, Sophus, it’s clear that Esther struggles with the idea that her sister, whom she was so close to, withheld so much from her. Not only does she question the things she hears about Aura, but she also questions herself and where she must’ve gone wrong for her beloved sister to keep these secrets out of her reach. With that said, if you’re looking for a story that beautifully captures the undeniable bond between siblings, look no further than The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding as Esther comes to terms with the tragic loss of her sister, a mystery that used to engulf her completely in darkness that becomes easier to cope with as she pulls the pieces of the puzzle together.

I can say, without a doubt in my mind, that Ringland truly knocks it out of the park with her ability to display such powerful backstories and complex personalities that spill off every page of The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding. While reading Ringland’s book, it felt like I was picking up the pieces of a past that I’d never lived, exploring Esther’s memories of Aura and the life before her disappearance to make sense of the present through Ringland’s amazing characters. Despite only seeing them converse for a few pages at the start, I could already feel the pain, tension, and bittersweet feelings shared between Esther and Tom over their past. At Aura’s memorial, the discussion between these two surrounding their relationship history and childhood memories was so heartbreakingly beautiful, especially when Esther saw Tom’s wedding ring after her feelings for him had become reignited during their conversation. Not only does Ringland show us the feeling of loss from Aura’s disappearance, but she also displays the grieving of heartbreak and the evanescence of time through Esther’s other relationships throughout the book. Even Esther’s relationship with her parents, Freya and Jack, is tense. Those unspoken feelings sit beneath the surface for years, only beginning to bubble over when they see each other again after Aura’s memorial party. We all know those awkward, bittersweet moments that come about when it feels far too late to rekindle a relationship with someone, and here, Ringland captures these tender emotions in a vulnerable scene between these two characters, leaving me absolutely floored at her ability to express such a heartbreaking instance.

Although Ringland focuses on hard topics like loss and grief through the dialogue in this book, she also tastefully weaves in humorous moments between the characters, acting as a nice comfort from the mournful undertones throughout. The author definitely got a smile out of me when Esther compares herself to Frodo Baggins as she rants about her parents wanting her to travel to Denmark, giving us some comic relief from the stressfulness of her situation. Ringland even makes the meeting between Sophus and Esther into a more lighthearted situation as she trips and becomes covered in bird poop, allowing me to get a smirk in despite the sorrow she’d felt throughout the story thus far. Just like in real life, even though you may face difficulties, you can still find those pockets of humour here and there. I loved the way Ringland captured this idea, showing how Esther’s spark, muted because of Aura’s disappearance, can still flicker brightly in these funny little moments, allowing her to laugh at the craziness of it all before she drives herself crazy.

In The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, Ringland not only gives us a window into the stages of grief through her strong characters, but she also shows what that process really is; relentless. Ringland elegantly illustrates the reality of trying to pick up the pieces that another left behind while you’re feeling broken and ultimately lost yourself. In this book, Esther struggles with the memory of Aura, fighting the whirlwind of pain that comes with remembering her sister at every chance she gets. Esther, however, is undoubtedly powerless against the constant reminders of her absence, being swarmed with childhood memories at Shell House and hit with the realisation of her disappearance. Ringland’s descriptions of Esther’s heartbreak are engraved into each page, every memory of Aura haunting her and causing her to sink deeper into the confines of her own mind, which is a dangerous place. For many of us, there are moments where the past seems inescapable, so what do we do? Try to avoid it. In Esther’s case, she does so by drinking. At points in the story, she becomes lost in a vicious cycle of waking up and being hungover, suppressing all her grief and desperately trying to numb herself from new pains through alcohol. Ringland’s ability to represent the effect that grief has on Esther and the inner turmoil she endures is simply beautiful. Not only does the author show Esther’s devastation, but she also gives us a window into how this character grapples with even her own self-acceptance, finding it along the way as she follows the stories that Aura left behind. Losing her sister eats Esther alive, causing her to relive the childhood memories they shared, and reminding her of every regretful decision she’d made, like when she neglected to read a note Aura left her. What stuck out to me was the advice Abelone gives to Esther when she questions the meaning of relationships. I feel, like Abelone, that it’s easy to harden your heart after a painful experience, but it’s far more important to have hope for better times to come in the future. As seen with Esther’s character, it’s difficult to move forward when the past is all you can think about; memories of what once was flooding you in times of weakness. Ringland comforts us by showing that only our own mindsets obstruct the path to healing, for if we keep looking towards the sun, the shade will soon disappear from our eyes.

It’s almost natural to not only take things for granted, but people, too. But it’s a mistake to never take a step back and recognize that gratitude is an important feeling to have for those that we love while they’re still here. Even though Aura’s life was cut short by a tragic event, her family remembers and holds every time they spent with her dear, ensuring that even her memorial party—being inspired by Aura’s love for the 80s—was something that could allow them to appreciate her even in her absence as it brought them close together again. By showing us Esther’s imperfect path to acceptance of the loss of her sister and displaying the rocky mother-daughter relationship between Esther and Freya, Ringland tells us that life is too short and too beautiful for pent-up emotions. Through its powerful narrative surrounding grief, The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding reminds us to hold fast to our loved ones and to cherish every moment that we get to experience with them. I certainly agree with this sentiment as I go through my life, realising that, although people come and go from our lives, every moment with them is a chance to make a memory that will last us both a lifetime. So, go give that person a hug, and don’t forget to remind your friends and family that you love them because even though we won’t live forever, our memories with others will stand the test of time. After all, they will be the pieces of ourselves that we leave behind.