Author Sophie Kinsella, who penned the 'Shopaholic' books, has died at 55

"Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received. Kinsella's novels were a sensation; they sold tens of millions of copies and were translated into dozens of languages."

"I just think there's something exciting about the time of life where you're on the lookout for opportunities in all directions. You're looking at your career. You're looking at finding someone to love. Everything is ahead of you," she said. "And for me, the kind of the wide, open horizon is so exciting. There is something exhilarating about meeting a stranger in a coffee shop and thinking, where's this going to go?"

Sophie Kinsella's real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham and she died at 55 after an aggressive form of brain cancer diagnosed in 2022. Her death was announced on Instagram with a statement saying she bore her illness with unimaginable courage, counted herself blessed for family and friends, and was forever grateful for the love she received. Her novels were a sensation, selling tens of millions of copies and translated into dozens of languages. The first two Shopaholic books were adapted into the 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher. Her novels often focused on young women navigating career, relationships and open horizons, despite her being a mother of five.

Read at www.npr.org