" I gave up when the book said right and left hand star - how? "
I think they mean a right hand star followed by a left hand star. Some of the new callers at our club get confused when using older books which call this figure right (or left) hands across, because you join right hand with the person diagonally opposite to make the star. And I suspect Scottish dancers call it a wheel, because it looks like spokes of a wheel.
Plenty of scope for confusion.

Well done for calling and playing, I couldn't (but then I can hardly play anyway)