A child cherishes every second of their grandmother's last week of
life in this sensitive portrayal of medical assistance in dying
(MAiD).
"In this last week, there are seven days." That's one hundred and
sixty-eight hours. Or ten thousand and eighty minutes. Or six hundred
four thousand and eight hundred seconds. A child counts every second
because this is their grandmother's last week of life.
As friends and family come to call on Flippa--as Gran is fondly
known--the child observes the strange mix of grief, humor, awkwardness,
anger and nostalgia that attends these farewell visits. Especially
precious are the times they have alone, just the two of them. Flippa,
the child sees, has made up her mind. Like time, she is unstoppable. So
as Sunday approaches, the child must find a way to come to terms with
Flippa's decision. What is the best way to say goodbye?
Beautifully illustrated in black and white--with one unexpectedly joyful
splash of color--Last Week is a nuanced look at what death with dignity
can mean to a whole family, with an afterword and additional resources
by MAiD expert Dr. Stefanie Green.
Key Text Features
illustrations
afterword
explanation
resources
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language
Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of
episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot
moves toward a resolution.
