Maggie O'Farrell remembers the difficult birth of her first son and the impact that a stranger's compassionate gesture had on her while doctors worked hard to save her life in the operating theatre.

Startling memoir, in which the bestselling author recounts her life through a series of near-death experiences.

Read by Hattie Morahan.

The book started out as a private project, a way for O'Farrell to help her young daughter who suffers from a serious immunology disorder, including severe eczema and allergies that can cause anaphylactic shock:

"I've asked myself, when she has been very ill, how do you carry on when death is a daily possibility?"

Abridged and produced by Kirsteen Cameron

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2017. Show less