Description
Book SynopsisA 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.
Trade ReviewHeartfelt … Black and white illustrations beautifully capture the range of emotions felt by each member of the family. STARRED REVIEW
* Quill & Quire *
A sensitive look at what death with dignity can mean to a family.
* BCBookLook *
Truly compelling and unique.
* CM: Canadian Review of Materials *
Assisted death is a subject seldom found in children’s literature, but this book handles the topic gently and sympathetically.
* Booklist *
An elegant dance of image and prose.
* The Tyee *
Heartfelt … It certainly is a book about coming to terms with grief, but it is also very much a book about love.
* Vancouver Sun *
Told with marked sensitivity … [A] compassionate story.
* Canadian Children’s Book News *
A story of such elegance.
* CanLit for LittleCanadians Blog *
Gentle … [and] might prove invaluable to some child in some family somewhere.
* School Library Journal *
