What Does It Feel Like? Summary & Review

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Introduction

What does it feel like to lose everything you once took for granted—your memory, your mobility, even your words? Sophie Kinsella’s powerful new novel, What Does It Feel Like?, offers a profoundly personal answer. Best known for her witty romantic comedies, Kinsella takes a poignant turn with this semi-autobiographical story that captures the emotional rollercoaster of illness and recovery. In this heartfelt narrative, we follow Eve, a successful novelist, who awakens post-surgery to find her world utterly changed.

This What Does It Feel Like? summary unpacks the novel’s themes of resilience, grief, and love, blending storytelling with deeply personal insight. Readers seeking a moving exploration of life’s fragility and beauty will find comfort, inspiration, and connection within its pages. Whether you’re a fan of Kinsella’s earlier work or a new reader drawn to emotionally rich fiction, this novel promises an unforgettable journey.

Book Introduction – A Celebration of Life Amid Struggle

In What Does It Feel Like?, Sophie Kinsella departs from her trademark light-hearted romances to share her most personal story yet. The novel centers on Eve, a bestselling author who wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband gently informs her that she’s undergone brain surgery to remove a malignant tumor.

What follows is Eve’s raw, emotional, and often humorous path to recovery—learning to walk, speak, and write all over again—while contemplating how to break the news to her children. Told through fragmented but powerful anecdotes, the book reflects on the simple pleasures that remain when everything else is stripped away.

This novel is not just about illness—it’s about resilience, human connection, and rediscovering what really matters.

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella Quotes

“What does it feel like to have five children?” people ask, and all she can say is, “The same as having one child, times five.” The work is multiplied, the worry is multiplied, the joy is multiplied, the love is multiplied.
“I don’t need to do any more of that stuff. I just need to be around. Have fun with the children. Have fun with you. See friends. Small pleasures.”
“You’re not the boss anymore. Apparently not. Fate’s the boss. And there are no teasers. All we can do is wait and see what happens.”
“Fate’s the boss. And there are no teasers. All we can do is wait and see what happens.”
“But when it comes to this, all we want, above anything else, is a spoiler. We desperately want the doctors to give us the spoiler, but they can’t, because they don’t know either.” (2 likes)
“I’m a novelist. I’m used to being God. I decide on the ending before I begin.”
“And right at that moment, this is her only aim in life, the only happy ending she wants. Just to keep going.”
“It warms her, to think of herself as part of a community, even if it’s not a community she would have chosen to join.”
“Visualize going into a bookshop and finding the perfect book. […] Then write that book. And above all, write the truth. […] I mean write the truth about life, whatever genre you’re in.”
“It doesn’t matter if anyone knows the answer, it can be good to ask the question anyway. And then we can all think about it and talk about it, maybe.”
“If you buy the dress, the occasion will come.”
“You have incurable cancer, my beautiful Eve. But you keep forgetting and I have to keep reminding you and these are the hardest moments of my life.”

About the Author – Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella is the internationally bestselling author of the Shopaholic series, as well as numerous standalone novels including Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, and I Owe You One. Born Madeleine Wickham, she began her career as a financial journalist before turning to fiction. Known for her charming, humorous style and relatable characters, Kinsella has sold over 45 million books worldwide.

In 2024, she publicly revealed her diagnosis of glioblastoma, a rare brain cancer, making What Does It Feel Like? her most vulnerable and authentic work to date.

What Does It Feel Like? Summary & Review — Author’s image source: wikipedia.org

Table of Contents (Estimated)

The Awakening – Eve’s return to consciousness
A Diagnosis Remembered, Forgotten, Remembered Again
The First Steps – Relearning basic skills
Family Conversations – To tell or not to tell
Moments That Matter – Memory, joy, and connection
Love in the Little Things – Intimacy and devotion
Laughter in the Dark – Humor amid grief
What Does It Feel Like? – Answering the unanswerable

Chapter Summaries

1. The Awakening

Eve wakes up disoriented, her mind fogged. She doesn’t know where she is or why. Her husband gently explains the surgery, sparking a confusing mix of fear, vulnerability, and hope.

2. A Diagnosis Remembered, Forgotten, Remembered Again

Due to short-term memory loss, Eve must be reminded over and over again of her condition. This chapter explores her internal struggles with the weight of her illness.

3. The First Steps

In rehab, Eve battles to reclaim her physical abilities. Walking, writing, and talking become milestones of perseverance, with emotional ups and downs that test her spirit.

4. Family Conversations

Eve wrestles with the heart-wrenching decision of how and when to tell her children about her illness. The emotional weight of motherhood takes center stage.

5. Moments That Matter

This chapter zooms in on seemingly trivial moments—like buying a dress or playing a board game—and magnifies their emotional significance.

6. Love in the Little Things

Eve finds strength in the everyday affection of her husband. Their quiet, steady relationship becomes an anchor in her turbulent recovery.

7. Laughter in the Dark

Despite the bleak circumstances, Eve’s wit shines. This chapter brings in the signature Kinsella humor, showing how laughter can be a form of healing.

8. What Does It Feel Like?

The final chapter poses the question the book has been exploring all along. Eve, and by extension Kinsella, offers a poignant reflection on living with illness, memory, and meaning.

Key Takeaways

Life is in the details: Small, everyday joys can carry immense emotional weight.
Illness doesn’t define identity: Eve remains herself despite the cognitive challenges.
Family is a cornerstone of strength: Love and support are essential in healing.
Humor can coexist with grief: Laughter provides emotional resilience.
Writing as therapy: Eve—and Kinsella—use writing to make sense of life’s pain.
Memory is fragile but meaningful: Even partial memories shape our perception of life.
Grief is non-linear: The journey through illness and recovery isn’t a straight path.
Facing the unknown is brave: Eve’s choice to be present for her family shows quiet courage.

What Does It Feel Like? Summary & Review & Analysis

Sophie Kinsella’s writing in What Does It Feel Like? is stripped down, intimate, and courageous. Her usual wit is present but more subdued, taking a backseat to deeper emotional resonance. The narrative structure—short, self-contained anecdotes—mirrors the fragmented way memory and trauma often work, making the experience feel authentic.