Synopses & Reviews
Written by Deborah Ziegler, the mother of Brittany Maynard—a twenty-nine-year-old woman with a terminal brain tumor—this touching and beautiful memoir captures and celebrates her daughter’s spirit and the mostly untold story of Brittany's last year of life as she chose her right to die with dignity, a journey that inspired millions.
On October 6, 2014, a video of my daughter, Brittany Maynard, was posted on YouTube. Brittany asked me to do the video with her, to support her. The first words my daughter uttered on the film were, "The thoughts that go through your mind when you find out you have so little time is everything you need to say to everyone that you love." Wearing a simple black sweater, her face already rounded and puffy from taking prescribed steroids, her once waist-length hair now grazing her shoulders after a craniotomy, Brittany described why she was choosing to end her life by her own hand rather than waiting for her brain tumor to rob her of everything that defined who she was.
In this poignant, powerful book, Deborah Ziegler makes good on the promise she made to her only child: that she would honor her daughter and carry forward her legacy by sharing their story and offering hope, empowerment, and inspiration to the growing tens of millions of people who are struggling with end-of-life issues.
Review
"Compassionately truthful and exceptionally well written. I think this will be a best seller that will move our cause forward." George Eighmey, JD, President of Death with Dignity
Review
"A graceful and touching gift of love and posthumous devotion from mother to daughter." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"When twenty-nine-year-old Brittany is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, she thinks almost immediately about ending her life with dignity….In this painfully honest memoir, Deborah, Brittany’s mother, records the surgeries, treatments, and soul-searching that went into honoring Brittany’s path…Brittany’s story…will have a ready audience, and Deborah’s frank account of their struggles will be comforting to others facing this difficult decision." Booklist (Starred Review)
About the Author
Deborah Ziegler was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on July 18, 1956. Her mother was a British immigrant and her father was a child of the Oklahoma dust bowl. One of four children, she received her BA in Secondary education. Deborah went on to enjoy teaching for fifteen years in both of her majors, English and Science. She received her MA in Science Education in California, where she currently lives with her husband, Gary, and two cavipoos named Bogie and Bacall. Ziegler started a successful woman-owned engineering company after retiring from her teaching career. Being Brittany’s mother is without a doubt Ziegler’s proudest accomplishment in life. Currently, Deborah speaks on behalf of end-of-life options in the hopes that one day all terminally ill Americans will have the right to aid in dying if they so choose.