This is a powerful, moving and at times unexpectedly funny novel about two women and their friendship challenged by illness and the threat of death.Helen has little idea what lies ahead when she offers her spare room to an old friend of fifteen years. Nicola has arrived in the city for treatment for cancer. Sceptical of the medical establishment, placing all her faith in an alternative health centre, Nicola is determined to find her own way to deal with her illness, regardless of the advice that Helen can offer.In the weeks that follow, Nicola's battle against her cancer will turn not only her own life upside down but also those of everyone around her."The Spare Room" is a magical gem of a book that packs a huge punch, charting a friendship as it is tested by the threat of death.