She admitted ageing had shifted her mindset.
“What’s the point of being 68 if you can’t say what you feel about things?” she said. “I’m going to be unafraid to write about difficult things.”
Despite the heavy theme, French said humour runs throughout the novel. “I hope that I’ve also brought some joy and some laughs into a tricky subject, because that’s how I deal with difficult stuff in my life,” she said.
French described Cornwall as the place where “my skin just relaxes”, adding: “That’s where my heart is. That’s where my light is. That’s where my joy is.”
While the novel keeps its coastal setting vague, she said, “for me, the coast is Cornwall”.
The book taps into fears about growing older, both for those ageing and their families, exploring “acceptance and understanding and control and connection and family”.
French said avoiding difficult conversations only made them harder. “The only way out is through,” she said.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC Action Line.