On Their Own Terms

by Laurie Loisel

165 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Dora V. Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. Loisel has tackled a topic few would dare approach and she has done so with grace, humility and intelligence. Thought provoking, engaging, and at times laugh-out-loud funny she does not shy away from one of the hardest questions society can tackle – is it ever acceptable to take your own life if you are not suffering from a life-threatening illness? Thank you Laurie Loisel for having the foresight and courage to write such a moving piece of non-fiction.

[Jim Foudy]

On Their Own Terms is a short, but powerful book. Journalist Laurie Loisel writes about two people who, facing old age and declining health, make the decision to take their own lives. One of them is her father.
The book is emotional, sad, funny, and a page-turner. She offers a rich and detailed account of the decision by an elderly friend to stop eating and die quietly at home. Her father’s choice is more dramatic but no less deliberative. Family, friends, doctors involved are all part of the story, which also provides a window into the way the law and the medical community are grappling and adjusting to people’s evolving end-of-life decisions. Despite the content, I found the book uplifting and inspiring. It is a conversation starter. I suspect for many people of a certain age, it speaks to their own thoughts and feelings. It should be a must-read for health care professionals who work with the elderly population.

[Marietta Pritchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a moving and sobering book. Laurie Loisel has combined her skills as a reporter with her emotions as a friend and daughter to write a compelling account of two people -- her father, who committed suicide and a friend who decided to stop eating and drinking. The book is direct and unsentimental, yet filled with feeling. She does not turn away from the hard questions raised by both deaths.