What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I am unsure of the genre but I assume adult fiction. I'm looking for a book for my father. His best friend (who recently died) told him about a book which reminded him of someone close to them both, and my father now deeply regrets that he did not write down the title or ask more questions. This is all that he remembers:

The novel included a female character who was incredibly sensitive about innocent beings being hurt. She saw some scene of an animal being hurt in a film, and was so deeply upset that she went to bed for some time with depression.

That's all he remembers- the discussion was relatively recent (probably in the last year) but the book may have been older. I know it is not a lot to go on, but any suggestions/ideas would be amazing. Thanks!