HARLEYSVILLE, Pa., July 31, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The right to die as a matter of one's own choice is a very controversial ethical question in our society. In Burwell's book, "Matters of Choice," the year is 2025, and euthanasia is an approved solution to a number of societal and economic issues. This has not ended the controversy, but as government becomes more intrusive, those against euthanasia as a practice have gone underground. It is in the setting of a pilot project accepting elderly volunteers for euthanasia that "Matters of Choice" takes place.
Burwell's intriguing story focuses on the lives of three of the project's first group of volunteers. To guide them through their final days and prepare them for death they are assigned to a caseworker, Levi, who feels some ambivalence about his job. His confusion increases as he learns about the lives of his volunteers, and realizes how the significance of their lives belie their choice of death. The story covers a fascinating three-week period, strategically timed at the end of the year. The final resolution for these three volunteers, as well as for their uncertain caseworker, will unfold in surprising ways as you read "Matters of Choice."
About the Author
Barbara Burwell, a native Pennsylvanian, retired in 1996 from a significant career in mental health and drug/alcohol services. In addition to writing both poetry and prose, she allocates her time to her family, including 5 children (one deceased), nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. "Matters of Choice" is her first novel, released in 2002. Her second novel, "Skychild," was released shortly thereafter. She drew on her beliefs about the value and sanctity of life, as well as her conviction that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things, to inspire both her published novels. Barbara brings a lifetime of noteworthy experiences to her writing.
Matters of Choice * by B. A. Burwell
Publication Date: March 12, 2003
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 295 pages; 978-1-4010-8032-7
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