The day I die The untold story of assisted dying in America

It sounds macabre to plan the end of a life, but it isn't. Cultural anthropologist Hannig tells the stories of people who "hasten" their deaths after spending five years, including eight months working as a hospice volunteer, "shadowing those on the front lines of assisted dying in America," talking to hundreds of people. She starts with Ken, a 90-year-old who suffers from congestive heart failure and an aggressive form of prostate cancer and feels more afraid of living than of dying. Hannig helps open 100 Seconal capsules for him. Before taking lethal medication, another man selflessly climbs into a body bag to make things easier for the mortuary workers. There are obstacles. Assisted-dying laws specify that patients must be able to administer the life-ending medication to themselves and must be within six months of the end of life. Some hospices refuse to cooperate, and sometimes the medications don't work. Hannig uses statistics effectively, noting that 81-percent of people who sought an assisted death in 2020 were 65 or older and that 60-percent of Americans now die in hospitals. With high-tech medicine extending life expectancy, more people are wishing for a "good death." If all goes well, assisted death mimics the process of dying calmly during sleep. Haunting and deeply informative.

Trained as a cultural anthropologist, Hannig (Beyond Surgery: Injury, Healing, and Religion at an Ethiopian Hospital) spent five years shadowing those on the front lines of assisted dying, immersing herself into the intimate spaces of patients' lives as they navigate the murky waters as well as the legal and emotional ramifications of dying with dignity. Linda Jones narrates this heartbreaking and profoundly informative audiobook with polished intimacy and elegance, tenderly retelling the personal accounts of the terminally ill. When the chapters become informative, her poignant approach shifts into an authoritative one, and her pace quickens, but her voice remains respectful and steady throughout. With compassion and expertise, Hannig's extensive research shows the deep considerations and vulnerable side of assisted deaths and explores the bureaucratic nightmare and legal restrictions of what it means to die on your terms in the wake of modern medicine; she does so without losing objectivity. VERDICT Beautifully written with easily accessible language and narrated with a level of delicacy, this character-driven title is a must-have for all nonfiction collections.--Emily Pykare