Dawn French, the comedian, actor and writer best known for The Vicar of Dibley, has released a new novel that tackles the sensitive subject of end-of-life choices. Titled Enough, the book follows Etta, a fit and content 68-year-old mother and grandmother who gathers her family for a weekend and reveals that it will be her last day alive – her choice, her decision. French, who is also 68, a mother and a grandmother, hopes the novel will act as a 'conversation opener' on a topic often avoided.
French told the Press Association that approaching her 70s made her think about 'the winter part of life', adding: 'We pretend it’s not going to happen… but how do we actually enter this part of our lives?' The book includes a trigger warning at the start and a link to The Samaritans at the back, after French’s team consulted the charity. 'I think it’s fair to warn people,' she said. 'Some people are going through a tricky time.'
Despite the sombre premise, the novel is described as life-affirming, with humour woven through the family’s interactions. French noted that the teasing and sarcasm between characters serve as 'the collective tribal currency'. She said the only genuine resemblance between herself and Etta is their age, though her own family gatherings involve similar banter. French, who is pro assisted dying 'with 1,000 caveats', recalled the 'extraordinary beauty' of her mother’s death from lung cancer in 2012, when palliative care allowed her mother to say she wanted to 'go to sleep and not wake up'.
