'Alisa pokupaet smert'' by Liudmila Ulitskaia
Liudmila Ulitskaia
Alisa, an elderly woman, faces a minor medical incident that prompts her to confront the prospect of dying alone. Determined to retain control over her final chapter, she obtains a bottle of barbiturates from a physician. She then falls in love with and marries him. After his tragic death, she adopts his grandchild, and embarks on a new chapter of her life.
'Ein Mann seiner Zeit' by Roswitha Quadflieg
Roswitha Quadflieg
Roswitha Quadflieg’s novel tells the story of Paul Gärtner who, in his mid-seventies and reliant on a wheelchair after battling cancer, records his life story and advocates for the right to access sodium pentobarbital for those seeking to end their lives on their own. The novel was received with praise from advocacy groups in Germany and Switzerland.
'Liebe bis in den Tod' by Barbara Bronnen
Barbara Bronnen
Emmanuel and Käthe Forster have been married for decades when Käthe asks her husband to help her die because she can no longer bear her life due to various diseases. Forster kills her with a shot to the head, but cannot bring himself to take his own life afterwards as planned. He has to stand trial for manslaughter, but Judge Joos releases him with a lenient sentence.
'Schlemm' by Nicola Bardola
Nicola Bardola
The elderly spouses Paul and Franca Salamun have decided to die together with the help of an assisted dying organisation. Paul suffers from bladder cancer, Franca is tired of living and does not want to stay behind without her husband. Although their son Luca can understand the decision, it is difficult for him to find a way to emotionally process her death.
'Winter in Gloster Huis' by Vonne van der Meer
Vonne van der Meer
In this novel set in 2024, the ‘Done with Life Act’ is law in the Netherlands, permitting assisted suicide for those who consider their lives complete. At the same time, two brothers receive a huge inheritance. One starts a farewell hotel, which facilitates a self-chosen death; the other starts an extended-stay hotel, where people are surrounded by care and attention until their natural passing.