Sophie Kinsella

I listened to this audiobook on my drive to Tulsa yesterday.  I was fully caught up on podcasts and Audible books, so I did a search for available books on Libby and figured I'd give this a try.  And in spite of knowing Sophie's writing style pretty well, I was entirely caught off guard by this one!!

Sophie's books are known for their bright and cheery covers, usually lighthearted chick lit stories with happy endings.  The main character is almost always a single woman, and the plots are fairly predictable/frivolous, but fun and sweet.  I read several of them back in my young adult years, 2005-2012ish...

(This = Madeleine Sophie Wickham, but she writes under the name Sophie Kinsella.)

The leading lady in this book is a happily married mother of five kids, a successful author who decided to write about what she knew, starting with a main character who had a mild shopping addiction.  I suspected at that point that this book was going to be autobiographical, then a little ways in, Eve (the main character) wakes up after surgery to remove a brain tumor.  She wrote in detail about stage four glioblastoma, an incurable brain cancer that typically comes back, and about how Eve and her awesome, supportive husband and their five children were dealing with it.  There were some poignant reflections on death and grief and loss and feeling gratitude and love in the midst of all that.  The entire thing was 2 hours, and the book ends somewhat abruptly but on a hopeful note, with the main character doing well and hoping for continued health and healing.

Then she narrates the Author's Note, where she clearly explains that this is her story, that she has a wonderful husband and five children, and she was diagnosed with this rare cancer and had a surgery that (temporarily) affected her memory and ability to walk, etc.

She said something like "my attentive readers will notice a shift from my usual tone..." Umm, massive understatement!  I was nearly crying as I made my way onto the Creek Turnpike.  But I'm thankful I found this one, and I'm praying for her and her family!  It was a deep reminder of the value of being a light by choosing love and joy and hope, even in seasons that are dark and heavy.

❤ ❤ ❤