Ocean of Stars: The Beginning of Everything by Azita Ardakani and Rebecca Rebouche is due late September/early October 2026. It was read by me, via an online reader copy. It’s not a book that should be read once and forgotten. It needs multiple readers. Therefore, I cheat and give you the review of Robing Wall Kimmere that fits what I feel this book is about:
“The luminous prose of Ocean of Stars offers an invitation to remember our fundamental kinship with the natural world. This quiet reflection across space and time lets us see stars everywhere.”
I also give you the Biographical Note that is on the vendor site used by my bookstore:
Azita Ardakani is a writer, herbalist, and nature-based strategist who explores kinship, consciousness, and the intelligence of living systems. Her work bridges ecology, inner life, and imagination. She lives between New York and British Columbia with her husband, two dogs, and a garden full of listening. Rebecca Rebouché is a Louisiana-born fine artist known for her surreal and emotionally rich paintings that explore the poetry of nature. Her work has been exhibited internationally and collected by museums and private patrons around the world.
Why do I cheat? Because it is not an easy book to write about. It is a personal read and I want you to have what I had when starting it, and not any of my biases I would have if you read a review by me. I will say that for me, the illustrations are both the best and maybe not best part of things. Sometimes I felt they were telling me more than the text, sometimes I felt they gave me nothing. In the end, this is why I liked them as they are not easy to comprehend. This is an emotionally complicated but also straightforward collection of words and images.
