I’m hosting two author events through Reimagine End of Life this week and next — “What If Your Father Asked You to Kill Him?” on Wednesday, March 23, 5 pm PDT and Tuesday, March 29, 7 pm PDT.
It will be one part book talk and one part conversation about end-of-life issues. Plus stories, jokes, Q & A, and book giveaways.
When I Killed My Father: An Assisted-Suicide Family Thriller is fiction, but inspired and informed by his family’s experience with my mother, who died at 95 after ten years of falling deeper into dementia.
In the novel, psychologist Lamar Rose’s father, suffering from dementia, asks his son to help him die, and Lamar refuses. Bbut his father keeps asking, and Lamar relents. Then, at his father’s memorial, from the pulpit of the church, Lamar’s sister accuses him of murder.
I will read from his novel, talk about what I learned researching and writing the book, and lead a conversation about the challenges and unexpected rewards that come with the end of life. Such as:
- How do we initiate end-of-life conversations?
- What happens when families can’t agree about health care decisions?
- How do we respond when loved ones say they want to die?
- How do we treat dementia patients with kindness — reality therapy or compassionate fibbing?
It’s an online event, you need to register, and it costs 0-$15. (Participants who pay $15 will receive a signed copy of the book.) See more at johnbyrnebarry.com
