The Life or Death Committee: A Novel

by Jillian Medoff

Who has the right to live? Who should decide? Bestselling author Jillian Medoff explores the human cost of impossible choices in a dazzling novel inspired by a controversial true story.

In 1961, dialysis could save lives, but it was available to only a handful of patients. That summer, seven Seattle citizens—a pastor, a surgeon, a lawyer, a labor leader, a housewife, a banker, and a city official—were asked to perform an unprecedented act of public service. Privately known as the “Life or Death Committee,” they were given the task of deciding which gravely ill patients would receive this groundbreaking treatment—and which ones would be denied.

Within the committee’s closed world, each member carries private burdens. Among them: a beloved councilman with a devastating secret; a housewife starved for purpose; a pastor haunted by his father’s violence; and a surgeon whose service in the Korean War left him unable to feel. As hidden connections emerge and loyalties shift, their fragile alliance is threatened by scrutiny from Life magazine and the compromises they have made in the name of fairness.

With uncanny psychological insight and gripping narrative force, Medoff confronts urgent questions of responsibility, conscience, and what it means to be a good person. Sweeping yet intimate, The Life or Death Committee is an ambitious novel about secrecy, moral judgment, and the choices that bind us to one another and forever alter how we understand ourselves.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 19, 2027

About the author

Jillian Medoff is the author of five novels. Her sixth, THE LIFE OR DEATH COMMITTEE (1/19/27), is set in Seattle, circa 1961, and explores who has the right to live and who should decide. At its heart, the book is a character-driven story about relationships: our passions, secrets, our betrayals, and all the ways we try and try and fail and try again to love.

Reviews

[Rochelle Weinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly had no idea what I was getting into with this one, but boy did Jillian Medoff surprise me. In the very best way. The writing is beautiful--smart, bold--the story and structure original, and I was completely absorbed in the characters, their interconnected lives, and the moral dilemmas surrounding the committee. Imagine having to choose who gets to live or die? Medoff has brilliantly set up a powerful, moving story (based on true events) with depth and compassion. I'm truly in awe. Don't miss the Author's Note.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard of the story of the confidential committee of laypeople assigned with deciding who gets to receive the life saving treatment of dialysis for end stage kidney disease in other readings, but I was interested to see what this author would do with imagining the people, the emotions, and the consequences of this committee, of which its members stayed anonymous. Medoff did a wonderful job developing fictional characters and taking the reader through their individual strengths, stressors, emotions, and flaws. This isn't a story about how dialysis was invented and implemented, but rather a story exploring how ordinary humans deal with the immense task of deciding who gets to live or die. Not every character is likeable, but every character is someone you have met on the street, for better or for worse, and the author goes through all the consequences and influences this committee has in their personal lives and eventually how all the stories tie together in a bittersweet end. This is not a fast paced or particularly plot driven novel but is an eye opening window into humanity of all kinds. This would be a great book for those who have an interest in psychology, medical history, or who enjoy character studies.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an exceptional story, and so strikingly well told, that days after lingering on the last page I am still missing Seattle, the intrigue of medical ethics, the winding tales of personal achievement & failure, and the wicked happenstance of chance in the world made by Jillian Medoff in The Life or Death Committee.

I couldn't have predicted how much I would care about the committee members, or how many questions (and concerns) this story would provoke. All this from the early history of modern dialysis? Who knew? Jillian Medoff did.

Read this book.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book’s structure is brilliant and works incredibly well: seven committee members alternate telling the story, each bringing a distinct voice and layered perspective to the plot. The premise of not having enough resources to save everyone who could benefit raises questions about who decides who gets to live and what factors into those decisions. This dilemma makes it impossible to read passively, especially as the moral failures in the committee itself is revealed. It’s the rare kind of story that lingers, continuously challenging your own sense of right and wrong long after you finish.

[Jeanie ~ Fables.and.fur · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I’ve been looking forward to this one. I loved When We Were Bright and Beautiful. The Life and Death Committee is a completely different story and it’s excellent. It’s inspired by real life events and beautifully written. It’s impossible to read this and not feel the moral dilemmas these committee members experience. The story is told from each of their POVs so the reader can see what guides their decisions. This story will stay with me. Highly recommend.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea what this book would be like as I have little interest in the medical industry or medical history. This book was completely fascinating to me as well as educational. I had never heard of this committee. The author did a great job with the fictional characters and showing us their strengths and flaws as well as their character development from being part of the committee.

[Liv Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Life or Death Committee is the best book I’ve read all year. The way Medoff gets so detailed into each POV, and then connects them all as the story moves through time, is incredible. Absolutely loved it

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book. Amazing.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the moral dilemma in this book. The characters were easy to connect with and the story made me think.