"Starfish" stems from Alices mothers death. Alice was studying Medicine at university when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Alice, therefore, was in a unique position to care for her mother at home due to her training. The book delivers an honest, open account of caring for someone who is dying from a personal but also clinical point of view. It demonstrates just how much love for someone can hurt.

Subsequently, when Alices mother died, she attempted suicide. Alice was admitted to a psychiatric unit and the novel follows her as she struggled to live a life without her best friend, her...