Dawn French has opened up about her new novel, Enough, which tackles the complex topic of end-of-life choices. The comedian hopes the story acts as an important "conversation opener" on assisted dying.
A Novel About Control and Choice
The comedian, actor and writer is acutely conscious that tackling the subject of controlling one's final days in her latest novel is bound to spark debate. The topic might not appear an obvious holiday page-turner from The Vicar Of Dibley star, but it underpins Enough. The book follows Etta, a fit, content 68-year-old mother and grandmother who gathers her family for a weekend, only to reveal the shocking news that this will be her last day alive. Her choice. Her decision. She isn't depressed, she isn't traumatised.
"It will be a conversation opener," French said. Like the main character Etta, French is also 68, a mother and grandmother, and she recalls how her personal assistant, while typing the manuscript, enquired whether French was feeling alright. "I think she was worried about the nature of what I was writing here and whether these are my thoughts and feelings, which they are not."
She tells the Press Association: "When you're approaching your 70s, I just didn't want to deny that you start thinking about this 'winter' part of your life. I don't even know when those years are that you exit autumn and enter winter. But what I do know is that thinking about getting older is on my mind. We pretend it's not going to happen and that it's going to be easy. We provide and make our preparations, but how do we actually enter this part of our lives?"
Trigger Warning and Support
A content trigger warning appears at the beginning of the book, alongside a link to The Samaritans at the back — French's team having reached out to the charity regarding the subject matter. French added: "I think it's tricky for lots of people, but I'm all for talking. Let's absolutely have the conversations, but I think it's fair to warn people about the nature of it. Some people are going through a tricky time and I get that. I want everyone to have access to whatever help they may need."
A Life-Affirming Story with Humour
Despite the seemingly sombre premise, the novel is anything but bleak. If anything, it's genuinely life-affirming, as Etta's son Vernon from her first marriage and daughter Dolly from her second gradually move through shock, disbelief and anger as they attempt to change her mind, ultimately reaching a quieter, more thoughtful place — reflecting on their relationships with their mother and with one another. There are plenty of laughs throughout — the teasing and sarcasm exchanged between the half-siblings and their mother serves as "the collective tribal currency", while Lizzy, Vernon's quiet, acquiescent wife, recognises she must start asserting herself more. Meanwhile, Etta's warm, devoted gay second husband may have settled with his boyfriend in Bristol, but he remains steadfastly in her corner.
French explains that the only genuine resemblance between herself and Etta is their age, though she admits that when her own family — daughter Billie, whom she adopted with her first husband, comedian Lenny Henry, and stepchildren Lily and Olly — gather together at their Cornwall home with her and husband Mark Bignell, who heads a drugs rehabilitation charity, the dining table is rarely short of teasing and sarcasm.
Personal Reflections on Assisted Dying
The novel is peppered with flashback chapters exploring Etta's life and the thinking behind her choice, including watching her mother disappear into the depths of dementia. French herself has witnessed relatives pass away in all manner of circumstances and considers herself pro assisted dying, but "with 1,000 caveats". Yet she found the most "extraordinary beauty" in her own mother's passing in 2012, she recalls.
"My mum got lung cancer and it was all quite quick, although I now on reflection think that my mum knew for much longer than she let on. But by the time she was in the hospital and struggling to breathe, the palliative care doctor came in and said, 'We've got various options here' and was extremely respectful to my mum." Her mother was asked by the doctor what she wanted. "My mum was able to say, 'I want to go to sleep and I don't want to wake up'. She was exhausted and struggling. She always said she wasn't afraid of dying, she was afraid of not being able to breathe. Then this remarkable system started where she was helped in a legal, correct way. I just thought it was beautiful, kind of consensual and respectful of life and humanity. I just thought, that's because my mum has made this decision at this key moment. She's in charge. And so a lot of this book is about control, really."
What's Next for Dawn French
While the novel addresses a weighty subject with compassion and dark humour, laughter remains firmly at the forefront of French's plans. This summer she'll be shooting the second series of the BBC1 sitcom Can You Keep A Secret? ahead of pantomime season kicking off. She and her close friend Jennifer Saunders will portray the ugly sisters in Cinderella at the London Palladium this Christmas. They held out for Cinderella specifically so they could perform in it together.
Enough by Dawn French is published by Penguin Michael Joseph on May 21. Samaritans can be contacted for free, day or night, 365 days a year, on 116 123, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
