I’m not interested in writing the same novel twice. I’m drawn to writing about challenging, transitional moments in people’s lives, and that theme never changes, but how I go about telling the story changes so very much I’m sure it sends my publishers’ heads in a spin. I’m often too quirky to be commercial and too commercial to be literary and while I’m comfortable with not fitting in, it’s never easy when it comes to knowing where to put me on a shelf. What projects are you working on? My only complaint would be that the latter half of the book moved way too fast for me, bounding through the adult years of her life where I really wanted to linger hour by hour with Alice. I found all of the characters well rounded. We get to know them well through their impact on Alice. Her meeting with Naomi is a turning point, where she learns that her life can be different. Her relationship with Andy, after an idyllic start, becomes troubled at times, but they learn to deal with each other's idiosyncrasies. Her love of being out in nature and her growing understanding of plants through seeing their moods and colours was fascinating and and, for her, life-changing. Speaking of light, she sees colorful lights around people (auras) which overwhelm her when she is a child and help her know who to trust when she is older. Tell me about your new novel, In a Thousand Different Ways. What was the inspiration and how did it evolve?

In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern | Waterstones

Oh, how excited I was to read the latest book by Cecelia Ahren! "A mainstream book about people like me! Wow." I marvelled.A touching, warm, and moving story about Alice who sees colours around people. Colours. Dancing around their heads and their bodies. Happy colours, sad colours. She feels them, and whatever they’re feeling, she feels herself. Everyone is completely transparent under her gaze. This is a truly beautiful book and one that will stay with me for a long time. I don’t think I’ll quite be able to put into words how much I loved this and was touched by the story. I was immediately drawn to Alice, and I would do anything to protect her. I felt empathy for her in dealing with the gift, and I can’t imagine what it must be like not only to know everyone's feelings, but you could be affected by those feelings too 🥺

Cecelia Ahern: ‘I feel very comfortable writing about people Cecelia Ahern: ‘I feel very comfortable writing about people

In a Thousand Different Ways tells us the story of Alice Kelly who has the gift (even though it doesn't seem that way at times) of being able to see how people around her feel. How wonderful you think. But when you do think about it, it really must be exhausting. Not only does Alice see how people feel but she sees how others soak up others' feelings. I was over the moon when I got a copy of cecelia book as I'm huge fan of hers. I just love how she really has thought outside the box with the story well she dose with all books but this one blow me away . She really knows how to make you feel so much emotion with this story . Such a beautiful, tender and moving story’ Sinead Moriarty, bestselling author of Yours, Mine, Ours Alice’s gift leads to problems at school and she gets sent to a boarding school for difficult children where she makes 2 good friends who we briefly meet again once Alice has moved to London and is trying to find a job she can do.

Customer reviews

A stunning, wonderful, powerful tale: Alice lives with her mother and two brothers, one older and one younger. Alice has synaesthesia (to see or feel in colours)only this isn't recognised until she is older and sadly she is seen as being different and a trouble maker. She sees the anger in her mother and the calm in her older brother. Imagine being able to see and hence make a judgement of someone by the colour surrounding them. When there is a crowd you are overwhelmed, when seeing strangers you can make a call. When Hugo, her older brother, goes to university and her younger brother is on the wrong side of the law it is left to Alice to look after her mother as she is now in a wheelchair.