What Does it Feel Like?

'I laughed. And I cried. And then I thought about the meaning of life. A jewel of a book.' JOJO MOYES

'The bravest book you'll read all year.' JODI PICOULT

From Number One bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, an unforgettable story – by turns heartbreaking and life-affirming – of a renowned novelist facing a devastating diagnosis and learning to live and love anew.

‘What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date. Eve’s story is my story.’ — Sophie Kinsella

Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumour growing in her brain.

As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again — and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children — she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights and always buying that dress when she sees it.

Recounted in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating the labyrinth of grief. This extraordinary novella is a celebration of life, shot through with warmth and humour – it will both break your heart and put it back together again.

‘Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.’ – Sophie Kinsella

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'I was gripped and moved and I loved every word.' LISA JEWELL

'A beautiful love story and a glowing beacon of hope.' JENNY COLGAN


Sophie Kinsella, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, June 2024