For Gabriel Weston, there was always something missing from the anatomy she was taught at medical school. As she became a surgeon, a mother and then a patient herself, she grew increasingly fascinated by the gap between the body she understood as a doctor and the messy reality of living in one.

Alive is a captivating investigation into our organs and the role they play in the stories of our lives. In Weston’s hands, a fuller and more human picture of our bodies emerges – more fragile, frightening and miraculous than we could ever have imagined.