HOW RELATIONSHIPS ARE AT THE CORE OF STAR WARS

Learn about how relationships are at the core of Star Wars with a new book called I LOVE YOU. I KNOW.: LESSONS IN LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.

Author Amy Richau explains in her new book how relationships are key to the Star Wars story. “Like many Star Wars fans, my love of the galaxy far, far away is very personal. Which is why I took the task of writing a book about love and Star Wars very seriously. I can’t remember a time in my life where Star Wars wasn’t there — like a close friend of the family. With a sprawling story spanning decades and filled with dozens of characters of all ages, I have found myself relating to Star Wars characters in different ways over the years.”

In her book, she had to come up with 25 pairs to illustrate love in five different categories that DK Books gave me: True Love, Family, Friends, It’s Complicated, and Enduring Love. She goes on to explain how she determined what pairs to use:

“Some pairs I felt were must-haves in the book (Kanan and Hera, Anakin and Ahsoka, C-3PO and R2-D2, Finn and Rey, etc.). Other pairs were personal favorites of mine (Obi-Wan and Satine, Jyn and Galen, Chirrut and Baze). I was delighted when one DK editor suggested Larma D’Acy and Wrobie Tyce from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, since focusing (um, obsessing?) about smaller, even at times background characters, is something most Star Wars fans, including myself, delight in. I felt pressure to write something meaningful for pairs I know many Star Wars fans hold close to their hearts. This project was an amazing chance to rewatch Star Wars films focused only on the relationships, whether the pairs were kissing or engaged in a lightsaber battle.”

Richau says that “writing about a few pairs helped me connect to Star Wars in an even deeper way. Even though sisters Rose and Paige Tico didn’t share any screen time together, their bond was so strong and beautiful in Star Wars: The Last Jedi it was the first thing my older sister texted me about after she saw the film. Star Wars sisters! In space! Leia and Holdo’s friendship in the same film similarly was a relationship I felt like I had been waiting for in a Star Wars story and felt honored to write about. Two strong and successful women lifting each other up, instead of trying to one up each other — I hope we see more female friendships like this in future Star Wars stories. And while I have always felt emotional watching Shmi Skywalker say goodbye to her son in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, when your own son is the same age as Anakin and you watch that scene — well, to say it hits different is an understatement.”

Love is everywhere in Star Wars and impossible to define — and this book is much more about finding a lesson in love to connect with from Star Wars stories than trying to define these often complex on-screen relationships. For many of these pairs I could have written a half dozen different lessons. I hope everyone who reads I Love You. I Know. can find new ways to feel a bond with characters they know and love. But keep in mind that while a friendship with a Wookiee or a friendly rivalry can set you up for a happy ending, it’s important to avoid destructive relationships. As Krennic learned the hard way, a technological terror can’t love you back.

Get your loved one a copy today for Valentine’s Day.

Source: StarWars.com