Her legacy from her mother is more complicated – until one question from a stranger inspires a change. What if it isn’t about fitting in, but finding the people who make you who you are? Who would those people be? Cecelia was nominated for Best Newcomer 2004/5 at the British Book Awards for her debut novel PS, I Love You. She won the 2005 Irish Post Award for Literature and a 2005 Corine Literature Prize for her second book Where Rainbows End, (Für immer vielleicht) which was voted for by German readers. In 2006, she was long-listed for the IMPAC award for PS I Love You. Cosmopolitan US honoured her with a Fun Fearless Fiction Award 2007 for If You Could See Me Now. Irish Tatler awarded her Writer of the Year at the Woman of the Year awards in 2009. Cecelia's fifth novel Thanks for the Memories was nominated for Most Popular Book in the British Book Awards 2008. Cecelia was voted Author of Year in the UK Glamour Women of the Year Awards in 2008.

Q: Our magazine’s main audience and submissions comes from young aspiring writers. What advice would you give to those that are finding this change restrictive to their writing? Zijn woorden kwamen net als het paard van Troje onschuldig over mijn grenzen, en toen bam, bedrogen, alle troepen sprongen eruit, raakten me hard, achter elkaar door, regen me steeds weer en weer en weer aan hun speer.'When a stranger sets her mind running with the sentence “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”, this begins a journey for Allegra to find out who in her life makes her who she is. I was iffy about Tristan developing a close relationship with Allegra at first, considering how he had acted towards her but I actually grew to really like their friendship and how we leaned more about Tristan, his 'Rooster' identity and how he was striving to be more, and how Allegra helped him do this. I’m actually leaving comments open for this – which I don’t usually do… as I pondered if I actually have ‘five’ people at the moment. In the book Allegra ultimately realises she does, and they’re not who she expects.

I didn't bother reading the blurb, so I had no expectations. Based solely on the cover, I was hoping it wasn't going to be a historical fiction novel, and I was glad to discover it was a contemporary novel. It was also great to have just one POV for a change. What stood out for me, particularly since I was listening to the audiobook, was how natural and believable the narrator was. The voice is very important, especially when it comes to the first-person point of view. I was gripped early on and found ways to keep listening. As one can imagine, it doesn’t necessarily go as planned and letters to the likes of Amal Clooney and an Irish Olympian disappear into the ether. Butler, Laura (27 July 2012). "Baby boy for Cecelia and David". Herald.ie. Herald.ie . Retrieved 27 June 2014. At twenty-one I was emotionally intelligent and not a child, but there was a lot about the publishing industry that I didn’t know or understand. I’m not sure that I would change anything because that journey was important but I think I got swept along in the work and left a little of my life behind. I have a strong work ethic and I think being the way I was, helped me to build the career that I have but I could and should have taken care of myself a little better. I also should have asked more questions and spoke up more. But I’d still tell myself the same thing now.I was so enticed by the story and Cecilia as always pulled me In with her writing style and I felt connected to each of the characters, although there were a couple with whom I did not like. Jeder Mensch ist eine Mischung aus den 5 Menschen, mit denen er die meiste Zeit verbringt. Umgibt man sich mit "Loosern" macht einen das automatisch selbst zu einem. Eine Theorie, welche die junge Politesse Allegra Bird völlig aus der Fassung bringt. Sie bekommt diese 5 Menschen nicht zusammen und dabei muss sie doch die beste Version ihrer selbst werden, damit sie ihre Pläne, die sie dazu gebracht haben, ihr altes Leben aufzugeben und nach Dublin zu kommen, in die Tat umsetzen kann. Dit is een verhaal over vriendschap en verbinding, over een zoektocht naar wie je wilt zijn en het omarmen van al je karaktertrekken, over het waarderen van de mensen in je leven, over dromen en hopen, over het maken van fouten en leren hoe je het weer goed kunt maken. Het is een boek vol excentrieke, goed uitgewerkte personages en verrassende gebeurtenissen die samen met het originele thema zorgen voor een fijne leeservaring. Het verhaal is warm, ongemakkelijk, eerlijk, ontroerend, soms verdrietig, hartverwarmend, opbeurend, grappig en niet overal even vlot maar wel mooi, geschreven in de unieke, meeslepende stijl van Cecelia Ahern. Een verhaal dat je laat nadenken en verschillende emoties laat voelen, een aanrader!