"'The Fault in Our Stars' is at its core a love story between two teenagers. My sister never got to..."

“'The Fault in Our Stars' is at its core a love story between two teenagers. My sister never got to have a relationship like that. She got to experience just a few weeks of being 16. Witnessing a life and a romance she could have had made me feel unbearably sad and yet, oddly, uplifted. It’s as if, through Hazel, my sister is able to continue having new experiences. As if she got a sequel.


I can vouch that my sister’s life was filled with other forms of love. Having a support group to bolster her, having an online community to socialize with, helped Esther to smile and press on. She was one of five siblings, all of us extremely close. (Whereas Hazel is an only child, texting below the dinner table while her parents carry on a conversation.) When John Green promised to make Esther Day videos for my sister’s birthday each year, she asked him to make the day about “family and love.” Esther encouraged us as a family to never hesitate to say “I love you,” to express ourselves honestly, to hug and laugh.”

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"My sister Esther inspired ‘The Fault in Our Stars.’ The movie is her sequel." by Evangeline Earl

The Esther Day Project seeks to celebrate Esther Earl’s vision for a holiday about platonic love by preparing for Esther Day on August 3rd.