Description

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK

From beloved #1 bestselling author Sophie Kinsella comes an emotional and powerful novel—a deeply personal story of courage, hope, and rediscovering love after an unimaginable diagnosis.

Acclaimed novelist Eve wakes up to find herself in a hospital room, unsure of how she got there. Her devoted husband gently explains that she has undergone surgery to remove a large, malignant tumor from her brain. Now, Eve must face a monumental journey: relearning how to speak, walk, and write, and finding the right words to explain this upheaval to the children she holds so dear.

Told through poignant vignettes, Eve pieces together memories of what truly matters most—quiet strolls holding her husband’s steady hand, boisterous evenings playing board games with her close-knit family, and seizing life’s small joys (always deciding to buy the dress whenever she feels like it). Each vivid anecdote explores the hard, sometimes impossible questions that anyone who has ever experienced grief will recognize intimately.

Although fictional, “What Does It Feel Like?” is Sophie Kinsella’s most autobiographical novel yet. Eve’s journey mirrors the author’s own personal experiences navigating illness and recovery. Kinsella explains, “Eve’s story is my story. I’ve always processed my life through fiction, and creating this novel was therapeutic for me—it was tough at times, but ultimately deeply rewarding.”

Filled with warmth, humor, heartbreak, and hope, this extraordinary novel is ultimately a triumphant and uplifting celebration of life’s most precious moments.

“Bravest book you’ll read all year,” praises Jodi Picoult, while Taylor Jenkins Reid calls the work remarkable, observing, “Only Sophie Kinsella can have you laughing while she brings you to tears.”

Named A Parade Best Book of the Year, “What Does It Feel Like?” is a profoundly moving exploration of living fully, loving bravely, and putting a fractured heart back together again.