Hilary is the dying patient in the corner of the ward. Her children have been called in to say their goodbyes. Her mission to starve and drink herself to death is about to succeed. But this is her notebook......... In this frank and honest set of notes, written in random episodes, Hilary brings her wry sense of humour and sensitivity to her reflections on an unconventional life, and her complicated relationships with those around her. The book explores her 1960s' middle-class childhood, her teenage years in the 1970s, and her adult life spent largely in South West France. It also analyses the disintegration of a marriage. Hilary's writing strikes a wonderful balance between Nick Hornby - with his many references to popular culture - and Virginia Woolf, with her ""stream of consciousness"" approach. This book is, above all, a study of womanhood and sexuality, disappointment and alcoholism. The reader is swept along on a torrent of events and recollections, until they finally discover how Hilary's life was saved. An unmissable read.