At the core of this book, the life of a not untypical family in Coventry is torn apart by a health emergency. The subsequent weeks of dealing with life, and the imminent threat of death are described in intense detail, as is the struggle to handle everyday life.

The novel is narrated by Adam, the stay-at-home partner of Emma who is a GP. They have two children, Miriam and Rose, and it is Miriam, whose heart suddenly stops, precipitating disaster. The next two weeks are a rollercoaster of fear, anguish, helplessness and frustration as the family wait for a diagnosis.

The book is not just about this. Adam, who is a part-time academic, is researching the history of the Coventry Blitz and the rebuilding of the cathedral, while Emma is hopelessly overworked as a GP, and her father is telling his family’s story about the experience of Jewish refugees in the United States. Meanwhile, Adam comments on the state of the world including famine, the NHS and Academia, not forgetting adolescence and the difficulty of being seen as the ‘parent’ and responsible adult in the lives of his children.

That’s a lot to cover and, occasionally, he seems to be simply justifying his own marginalised existence but he is also under tremendous pressure simply trying to cope with everything. The description is acute and insightful, ranging from sleepless nights of despair and panic, remembering to organise a meal for the next day, and noticing how other parents find it hard to speak to him.

The university where Adam works part-time is obviously Warwick and the hospital with the high dependency unit rang true with me as Birmingham Children’s Hospital. I know the university well but I also know the fear of having a terribly sick child so this was both an interesting and difficult book. I wasn’t sure that the American story quite fitted in with the rest but that is a minor quibble. This is a powerful novel about the fragility of life and how what appears to be a comfortable day-to-day existence can be disrupted in a flash.