My journey with the Squatter

What would you do if an unwanted squatter moved into your home... and that home was your body?

The day Ruby discovered a lump in her breast, her life changed forever.

She named the cancer "the squatter", an unwanted visitor that had taken up residence without permission, determined to steal her peace of mind, her confidence and the future she had imagined.

Before treatment began, Ruby visited a sunflower field. Surrounded by towering golden blooms beneath a brilliant blue sky, she smiled for the camera while silently carrying the devastating knowledge that cancer was already growing inside her. That image would come to symbolise everything this book is about: finding moments of beauty, hope and laughter, even when life has been turned upside down.

The Squatter is not just another cancer memoir.

Written with honesty, warmth and an unmistakable sense of humour, it is the story of one woman's journey through breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between hospital appointments, operations and endless waiting, Ruby introduces the remarkable people who carried her through: a surgeon who became her comfort blanket, family and friends whose love never wavered, and work colleagues who proved that laughter can survive even the darkest days.

From naming her rogue breast "Dolly" to referring to her surgical drain as her "designer handbag," Ruby refuses to let cancer have the final word. Her story is filled with tears, resilience, unexpected acts of kindness and the determination to keep living while the squatter was still trying to make itself at home.

More than a story about cancer, The Squatter is a story about the strength of the human spirit. It is about discovering hope in unexpected places, finding joy in ordinary moments and learning that life doesn't have to be put on hold while you're waiting for tomorrow.

Whether you are living with cancer, supporting someone you love, working in healthcare, or simply looking for an uplifting and deeply human memoir, this book will remind you that even in life's darkest seasons, there is still room for laughter, love and sunshine.

Because sometimes the squatter may change your life...

...but it never gets to decide who you are.