Assisted: A doctor’s story of assisting death and embracing life (Stefanie Green, A&U)

There’s something special about reading the story of a person who has found their true vocation—their passion jumps through the page and grabs you. Dr Stefanie Green is a doctor who was born to help others through her work. In 2016 when the law changed in Canada to allow assisted dying, Green, a maternity ward doctor, decided to learn more. Assisted is the story of a gentle pioneer. From its earliest pages, it is a book about courage—the courage of Green, and of those she encounters. It is a remarkable reading experience seeing the world through this author’s eyes. We are there with her as she learns how to navigate this emerging area of medicine and as she confronts the opinions of other people, all the while with respect and dignity. Green doesn’t shy from the controversies; she is gracious enough to be honest about her own moral quandaries. In essence, however, she is a scientist: someone who presents the facts for us to make up our own minds. This is a joyful and important book—and a successful one. Green’s prose is easy, understated and never preachy. It is also incredibly intimate, with Green offering a safe pair of hands to help the reader through the murky waters of the controversial topic of assisted dying. Readers who enjoyed Karen Hitchcock’s The Medicine: A doctor’s notes will enjoy Assisted for its clarity and appreciate Green for her courage. 

Rebecca Whitehead is a freelance writer from Melbourne. 

Category: Reviews