MEMOIR

Walking Him Home: Helping My Husband Die with Dignity

by Joanne Tubbs Kelly
She Writes Pr. Aug. 2022. 296p. ISBN 9781647420895. pap. $17.95. MEMOIR
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Kelly opens her memoir by recounting the day her husband of 25 years, Alan, took advantage of Colorado’s End-of-Life Options Act, passed in 2016, to end his own life. Kelly then goes back in time to when she and her husband first met. She documents the story of her life with Alan, his diagnosis of multiple system atrophy disease, and the physical and emotional challenges they faced together as his health and quality of life deteriorated. The writing is clear, straightforward, and follows a linear trajectory. Kelly wrote her story because when she was faced with helping her husband carry through with his decision to end his life, she looked for books about people in similar situations. Coming up short, she decided to tell her own story.
VERDICT Currently 10 states and the District of Columbia have “medical aid in dying” statutes, and more states have legislation pending. This memoir will undoubtedly provide comfort and support for other people navigating a similar road.
Reviewed by Ragan O'Malley , Jun 17, 2022
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