This story has truly truly touched my soul and I don’t think I’ll be forgetting what I’ve read any time soon. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Ellidy is determined to keep the memory of her partner Chumpy Pullin strong, to honour his spirit and for their daughter, Minnie. The strength that you have is truly INCREDIBLE, I know it can’t always be easy but I truly believe your story will help so many people in all different walks of life. But for now all I can say is that I am truly sorry for her and her family’s loss and leave it, now, at that.

I was swept up in El’s and Chumps story, i had loosely followed it in the media but wasn’t fully across it. By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. I am a VERY slow reader but this story had my heart hooked from the get go, I finished it in 2 days. I can't imagine from Ellidy's perspective how it would have felt from losing the love of her life and beginning her pregancy journey alone.A few people have said to me that they're really excited to read this book but feel a put off or scared because they know it will make them sad. In the hours that followed a suggestion was made, did Ellidy want to harvest Chumpy's sperm and try for the baby they both wanted so deeply? And I had no idea posthumous sperm retrieval was a thing that's possible, such a challenging time, but being able to have that option is amazing. In the hours that followed a suggestion was made: did Ellidy want to harvest Chumpy’s sperm and try for the baby they both wanted so deeply? Life is so so short and you just never know how much one decision truly will impact not only your life but everyone else’s lives around you.

I probably wouldn’t have plucked this off the bookshelf of my own volition and now I can appreciate what the term “book hangover” really means. As many others have said, it truly encapsulates the raw truth about grief, and the journey of losing a loved one, but beyond all else, it is a book filled with hope and light amidst the darkness.I’ve followed Ellidy’s heartbreakingly beautiful story from the start and also have listened religiously to the Darling, Shine! My rating doesn’t take away from their experiences at all - I just don’t know what it was about this that I couldn’t get into. A quote that really stuck with me from this book was 'a flame that burns twice as bright, burns half as long'. I think it is just so apparent that Chumpy was an incredible and other-wordly human being that touched so many lives and has left an incredible legacy.

Family, friends, lawyers and doctors helped to give Ellidy the chance to keep a small part of Chumpy alive. I haven’t lost a partner, but losing my mum in 2020 at the start of covid has left a massive hole in my heart, so i felt i could resonate with El with the passing of her dad. Heartstrong***is an unforgettable book about love, joy, grief, hope and finding a way to keep going in the darkest of times.One of my favourite parts of this story was when Chumpy's dad Chris wrote a few chapters on Chumpy's upbringing and their life as a family.

By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. I’m not sure whether not really knowing Ellidy or Chumpy all that well in the public eye has anything to do with it, as I don’t follow her on any socials. I get that the story is tragic but felt that it was poorly written and really gave me almost no insight or feeling for both the author and Chumpy Pullin. I’m so sorry for all of the loss that has followed you in the last few years but I’m truly grateful you are both here. I felt so much love and hope as well, and Minnie, Ellidy's daughter, is such a beautiful example of a rainbow after a storm.I listen to Ellidy (and Chloe’s podcast) so I know what a wrench this was to record but Ellidy, thank you for persevering. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. I had seen this book everywhere and I had it on my list to read for ages, but I wasn’t at a place in my grief journey where i felt i could read this. I knew nothing about Ellidy or Chumpy before reading and now I feel that Ellidy is one of the strongest people ever. I feel like I can’t give a star rating because it feels like I’m judging someone’s life and experiences.