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Lecretia's Choice: A Story of Love, Death and the Law
A successful young lawyer in Wellington, Lecretia Seales met and fell in love with Matt Vickers in 2003. In Lecretia’s Choice, Matt tells the story of their life together, and how it changed when his proud, fiercely independent wife was diagnosed with a brain tumour and forced to confront her own mortality.
The death she faced—slow, painful, dependent—was completely at odds with how she had lived her life. Lecretia wanted to die with dignity, to be able to say goodbye well, and not to suffer unnecessarily—but the law denied her that choice. With her characteristic spirit, she decided to mount a challenge in New Zealand’s High Court, but as the battle raged, Lecretia’s strength faded. She died on 5 June 2015, at the age of forty-two, the day after her family learned that the court had ruled against her.
Lecretia’s Choice is not only a moving love story but compulsory reading for everyone who cares about the dignity we afford terminally ill people who want to die on their own terms.
In 2015 Matt Vickers supported his wife, Lecretia Seales, in her campaign to gain the right to choose how she died. Lecretia’s Choice is his first book.
The death she faced—slow, painful, dependent—was completely at odds with how she had lived her life. Lecretia wanted to die with dignity, to be able to say goodbye well, and not to suffer unnecessarily—but the law denied her that choice. With her characteristic spirit, she decided to mount a challenge in New Zealand’s High Court, but as the battle raged, Lecretia’s strength faded. She died on 5 June 2015, at the age of forty-two, the day after her family learned that the court had ruled against her.
Lecretia’s Choice is not only a moving love story but compulsory reading for everyone who cares about the dignity we afford terminally ill people who want to die on their own terms.
In 2015 Matt Vickers supported his wife, Lecretia Seales, in her campaign to gain the right to choose how she died. Lecretia’s Choice is his first book.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 29, 2016
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55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 27, 2016
An incredible book - for more than one reason - one of the hardest-to-put-down books I've read in a long time. A sad, tender, lovingly told love story, a powerful, persuasive account of a real life and the quest for a logical reform. It would be a must-read at any rate but Matt's approach to it - calm, measured, sincere, honest and with plenty of "great writing" when needed makes it convincing, special, poignant and about as perfect as a book can be. An undeniably powerful, beautiful tribute to Lecretia and her/their story.
July 5, 2017
Lecretia's Choice : A story of love, death & the law is a most fitting title for author Matt Vickers' touching tribute to his late wife. Throughout this book it was clearly evident Matt was deeply in love with his wife Lecretia. Not only that but he admired and respected her and they were wonderful companions, absolutely devoted to and supportive of each other. That they were relatively young and in love, trying to start a family when Lecretia was diagnosed with brain cancer would be story enough. That they both came from humble beginnings yet had achieved success in high profile careers was another thread to this interesting biography. Lecretia was working long hours as a senior legal and policy advisor with the New Zealand Law Commission when diagnosed. She continued to work tirelessly toward law reform as much as possible throughout her illness. Like many countries in the world assisted dying was not legal in New Zealand. With a vested interest in producing change in her country, not just for herself but for other terminally ill individuals, Lecretia strove to change the law with respect to assisted dying. She wanted to bring change so that individuals with terminal illnesses had the right to choose how they died, to allow them the chance to die with dignity and without suffering. Matt wrote " Lecretia had decided , somewhere deep inside her, that she would not be cancer’s victim. She would make every day count. If she suffered, but the law changed, it meant others would not needlessly suffer. With the cancer taking everything from her— her hope of children, her career, and her future— she had still found a purpose, one that was consistent with her calling as a reformer of the law"
Naturally a large part of the book was devoted to law, and in particular to Lecretia's High Court case Seales vs Attorney General. Not only did this prove highly interesting but it inspired in me a hunger for further information not only about Lecretia and Matt but about the progress of the NZ Select Committee into medically assisted dying.
This was truly an engaging read. I would love to have met Lecretia who seemed a highly intelligent but equally likeable person. If you have any interest whatsoever in the moral and ethical aspects of Euthanasia, if you are interested in the workings of the NZ law, and if you want all of this wrapped up in a beautiful love story which is sad but not overly sentimental you definitely should read this book. I'm very glad I did and thank Matt Vickers for writing Lecretia's story.
Thanks also to The Text Publishing Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Lecretia's Choice. It was my pleasure to provide my review in exchange for this free digital ARC.
Naturally a large part of the book was devoted to law, and in particular to Lecretia's High Court case Seales vs Attorney General. Not only did this prove highly interesting but it inspired in me a hunger for further information not only about Lecretia and Matt but about the progress of the NZ Select Committee into medically assisted dying.
This was truly an engaging read. I would love to have met Lecretia who seemed a highly intelligent but equally likeable person. If you have any interest whatsoever in the moral and ethical aspects of Euthanasia, if you are interested in the workings of the NZ law, and if you want all of this wrapped up in a beautiful love story which is sad but not overly sentimental you definitely should read this book. I'm very glad I did and thank Matt Vickers for writing Lecretia's story.
Thanks also to The Text Publishing Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Lecretia's Choice. It was my pleasure to provide my review in exchange for this free digital ARC.
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February 1, 2018I find it hard to rate memoirs and the like. These are people’s personal stories and more often than not, I find them incredible. Even if I didn’t, it’s still a true account of someone’s life.
This I picked up out of interest, to explore another perspective of the euthanasia debate. I already knew their views of course. Lecretia Seales was a lawyer based in Wellington who had been sadly diagnosed with a brain tumour at a young age. She had wanted to be able to choose euthanasia as an option for her at the end, and had taken these claims to the high court.
I wasn’t really sure that I was expecting anything at all, but I suppose I had imagined it would get to the meat of the matter quickly, so to speak. That this would be a story of her fight to be able to do this. What I read was even better. It’s actually her husband Matt Vickers’ story really, of who Lucretia was as a person to him and everyone around her, of how they met and fell in love and got married and tried for kids, until her untimely (not that it’s ever timely) diagnosis and ultimately, death. It’s apparent that this is his tribute to a woman who came across driven, clever, ambitious, kind, beloved... I actually most enjoyed reading about their earlier life and the process of how they got married and the eventual struggles to conceive. Just everyday human struggles.
I’m not sure of Matt Vickers’ personal view on death itself and choosing euthanasia, or how it would have felt to be the one responsible for deciding when the right time would be to say that this was the end, this was the point Lecretia meant when she said she didn’t want to go on any longer. The thing is, death is an inevitable personal experience that we are unable to share with others. It will always be an unknown which brings with it some sense of fear and helplessness, but it’s hard to be able to truly control either. Unless you experience a traumatic or catastrophic fatal event, the process of death at the very end is the same for everyone. It’s so hard to know at that point how an individual is truly feeling, if they’re comfortable or not, if they’re aware or not, etc. All we would have as observers is that feeling of helplessness and wanting to make the end comfortable and hoping that there’s no pain etc, guided by how they look or sound, but not really knowing how they feel. What is evident though, is that he fully supported Lecretia’s choice to want to be able to have euthanasia as an option.
If you’re after a balanced view of euthanasia, this is not the one. We already know their views going in, and this book is a persuasive argument as to why they feel euthanasia should be allowed, embellished with reasonings to support this view. It doesn’t really discuss the opposite view, and if there is one (usually via the interveners at court), it is not reasoned in the same way and is justified instead with their/his personal view of why this particular viewpoint does not make sense.
Regardless of your views on euthanasia, I thought this made a good, readable read. It’s more of a husband’s tribute to his beloved wife, and a personal story of their life together, and the fear and challenges they faced, including the final one at the end. At the end of the book, it was also interesting to read about how this affected Matt. It is a big fear for most of us, I’m sure. Losing your spouse and life partner must be indescribable.
This I picked up out of interest, to explore another perspective of the euthanasia debate. I already knew their views of course. Lecretia Seales was a lawyer based in Wellington who had been sadly diagnosed with a brain tumour at a young age. She had wanted to be able to choose euthanasia as an option for her at the end, and had taken these claims to the high court.
I wasn’t really sure that I was expecting anything at all, but I suppose I had imagined it would get to the meat of the matter quickly, so to speak. That this would be a story of her fight to be able to do this. What I read was even better. It’s actually her husband Matt Vickers’ story really, of who Lucretia was as a person to him and everyone around her, of how they met and fell in love and got married and tried for kids, until her untimely (not that it’s ever timely) diagnosis and ultimately, death. It’s apparent that this is his tribute to a woman who came across driven, clever, ambitious, kind, beloved... I actually most enjoyed reading about their earlier life and the process of how they got married and the eventual struggles to conceive. Just everyday human struggles.
I’m not sure of Matt Vickers’ personal view on death itself and choosing euthanasia, or how it would have felt to be the one responsible for deciding when the right time would be to say that this was the end, this was the point Lecretia meant when she said she didn’t want to go on any longer. The thing is, death is an inevitable personal experience that we are unable to share with others. It will always be an unknown which brings with it some sense of fear and helplessness, but it’s hard to be able to truly control either. Unless you experience a traumatic or catastrophic fatal event, the process of death at the very end is the same for everyone. It’s so hard to know at that point how an individual is truly feeling, if they’re comfortable or not, if they’re aware or not, etc. All we would have as observers is that feeling of helplessness and wanting to make the end comfortable and hoping that there’s no pain etc, guided by how they look or sound, but not really knowing how they feel. What is evident though, is that he fully supported Lecretia’s choice to want to be able to have euthanasia as an option.
If you’re after a balanced view of euthanasia, this is not the one. We already know their views going in, and this book is a persuasive argument as to why they feel euthanasia should be allowed, embellished with reasonings to support this view. It doesn’t really discuss the opposite view, and if there is one (usually via the interveners at court), it is not reasoned in the same way and is justified instead with their/his personal view of why this particular viewpoint does not make sense.
Regardless of your views on euthanasia, I thought this made a good, readable read. It’s more of a husband’s tribute to his beloved wife, and a personal story of their life together, and the fear and challenges they faced, including the final one at the end. At the end of the book, it was also interesting to read about how this affected Matt. It is a big fear for most of us, I’m sure. Losing your spouse and life partner must be indescribable.
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August 13, 2020With a referendum on euthanasia about to occur in NZ, this was a timely book to read on the morals, or otherwise, of having agency over one's own life.
Lecretia Scales sounds like an extraordinary, brave, zestful woman ... I hope what she wanted will come to pass shortly, even though it is too late for her.
Lecretia Scales sounds like an extraordinary, brave, zestful woman ... I hope what she wanted will come to pass shortly, even though it is too late for her.
May 9, 2017
Oh my. This is one of those books that makes you want to stand up and start shouting, marching, rallying and take up the fight on behalf of the author and the subject of the book.
Through Matt's I fell head over heels in love with Lecretia too. I wonder if my husband thinks of me the way Matt thought of her? It seems unlikely as their marriage seems to be one of those perfect unions where both parties shine in each other's company.
That this courageous, intelligent and fun young woman had to go through what she did is terrible but that she spent her final weeks going to court to ask for her own wants and needs to be respected beggars belief.
This book seems to be the story of Lecretia's fight and of their personal story but Matt goes so much further than that. I learned so much about assisted dying from reading this. I am from the UK where it is still not legal and I think I had assumed it was pretty much only available in Switzerland because I knew of Dignitas. To hear how many other countries, South Africa, Canada, multiple US states have started allowing some form of assisted death scheme was eye opening and made me even more angry than I was before that it isn't allowable here, having watched the likes of Diane Pretty fight it in our courts. I felt guilty that the NZ laws are based on ours and that 'we' affected Lecretia's choices in that way.
By telling us what made up the evidence in Lecretia's case, Matt laid out the arguments on all sides and provided the statistics, all of which as I suspected do not show that the right to die leads to legions of elderly relatives being killed by their families which is the most common argument.
Please read this book. I am now considering speaking to my MP as if the new British Bill of Rights (that has been mentioned following our sad departure from the EU) does come about then I would like assisted death to be included as a right for all citizens.
Thank you Matt, so much for writing this book as I know becoming a public figure was not what you ever envisioned for yourself. Please know that Lecretia's work was not in vain and neither has yours been.
Through Matt's I fell head over heels in love with Lecretia too. I wonder if my husband thinks of me the way Matt thought of her? It seems unlikely as their marriage seems to be one of those perfect unions where both parties shine in each other's company.
That this courageous, intelligent and fun young woman had to go through what she did is terrible but that she spent her final weeks going to court to ask for her own wants and needs to be respected beggars belief.
This book seems to be the story of Lecretia's fight and of their personal story but Matt goes so much further than that. I learned so much about assisted dying from reading this. I am from the UK where it is still not legal and I think I had assumed it was pretty much only available in Switzerland because I knew of Dignitas. To hear how many other countries, South Africa, Canada, multiple US states have started allowing some form of assisted death scheme was eye opening and made me even more angry than I was before that it isn't allowable here, having watched the likes of Diane Pretty fight it in our courts. I felt guilty that the NZ laws are based on ours and that 'we' affected Lecretia's choices in that way.
By telling us what made up the evidence in Lecretia's case, Matt laid out the arguments on all sides and provided the statistics, all of which as I suspected do not show that the right to die leads to legions of elderly relatives being killed by their families which is the most common argument.
Please read this book. I am now considering speaking to my MP as if the new British Bill of Rights (that has been mentioned following our sad departure from the EU) does come about then I would like assisted death to be included as a right for all citizens.
Thank you Matt, so much for writing this book as I know becoming a public figure was not what you ever envisioned for yourself. Please know that Lecretia's work was not in vain and neither has yours been.
January 4, 2017
Lecretia Sales was a young New Zealand lawyer who met writer Matt Vickers in 2003, and at its heart this non fiction book is the story about their romance and love.
Lecretias story became known in NZ after she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. She entered our living rooms through some written articles and TV interviews snippets , as she advocated for physician assisted dying. Sadly she died aged just 42, on the day that the high Court released their decision declining her case.
I devoured this book in a day and felt that I learned a lot more not only about the case and her cause, but about Lecretia herself.
Lecretias story became known in NZ after she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. She entered our living rooms through some written articles and TV interviews snippets , as she advocated for physician assisted dying. Sadly she died aged just 42, on the day that the high Court released their decision declining her case.
I devoured this book in a day and felt that I learned a lot more not only about the case and her cause, but about Lecretia herself.
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August 9, 2017I do not like to rate memoirs because I believe they are all very personal journeys.
I enjoyed this novel and found it extremely easy to read. It flowed well with the first half describing how Matt and Lecretia met and the development of their relationship. It also went into their fertility issues but I felt it was most likely reminiscent of many peoples experiences.
Then at the age of 37 years old after a few falls and sight issues Lecretia is diagnosed with brain cancer and given only weeks to live without urgent surgery. She progresses through a number of surgeries and chemotherapy regimes. I loved reading the parts of their travels in the earlier part of her diagnosis and their simple appreciation of them. Over time she becomes a supporter of the 'End of Life Choice Bill'. The second half of the book delves into her efforts to change the law.
It is obvious that Lecretia had great courage and a fantastic sense of humour and their love for each other shone through. Matt's work did take him away at times but it also gave him a chance to recharge and be there for her. Very sad but I feel the story is told with love and dignity.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read and review.
I enjoyed this novel and found it extremely easy to read. It flowed well with the first half describing how Matt and Lecretia met and the development of their relationship. It also went into their fertility issues but I felt it was most likely reminiscent of many peoples experiences.
Then at the age of 37 years old after a few falls and sight issues Lecretia is diagnosed with brain cancer and given only weeks to live without urgent surgery. She progresses through a number of surgeries and chemotherapy regimes. I loved reading the parts of their travels in the earlier part of her diagnosis and their simple appreciation of them. Over time she becomes a supporter of the 'End of Life Choice Bill'. The second half of the book delves into her efforts to change the law.
It is obvious that Lecretia had great courage and a fantastic sense of humour and their love for each other shone through. Matt's work did take him away at times but it also gave him a chance to recharge and be there for her. Very sad but I feel the story is told with love and dignity.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read and review.
May 31, 2017
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, reading about Matt and Lecretia's blossoming romance and their rather smooth journey to true love and marriage. Matt gave just enough detail to keep the reader interested and invested in their story, without going overboard on details; sometimes with biographical accounts there can be too much historical detail which makes the book drag.
It was very fascinating - but incredibly sad and moving - to read about Lucretia's deterioration following diagnosis with a cancerous brain tumour. It is horrifying to think that these kinds of things can happen, but so admirable the way Lecretia dealt with her fate.
As for the second half of the book, I found that for me personally there was too much jargon about the law related to assisted dying, making it difficult for me to get my head round. I'm a fairly academic person so I was surprised that I found this tricky - perhaps it was the contrast between the easy-reading first half of the book and the very technical second half that put me off. I raced through the first half, and the second half I had to really force my self to finish.
That being said, Matt's writing ability can not be faulted. He wrote this so well, and I feel he did a great job of portraying Lecretia's story and her battle to have the law changed. The love and passion between the two of them is clear for all to say, and so very heartwarming. I found myself very invested in this story, willing that Matt has gone on to find happiness in whatever comes his way after the loss of his lovely wife.
I would highly recommend this book; I simply could't offer more than three stars due to how much I struggled to wrap my head round the latter half of the book.
It was very fascinating - but incredibly sad and moving - to read about Lucretia's deterioration following diagnosis with a cancerous brain tumour. It is horrifying to think that these kinds of things can happen, but so admirable the way Lecretia dealt with her fate.
As for the second half of the book, I found that for me personally there was too much jargon about the law related to assisted dying, making it difficult for me to get my head round. I'm a fairly academic person so I was surprised that I found this tricky - perhaps it was the contrast between the easy-reading first half of the book and the very technical second half that put me off. I raced through the first half, and the second half I had to really force my self to finish.
That being said, Matt's writing ability can not be faulted. He wrote this so well, and I feel he did a great job of portraying Lecretia's story and her battle to have the law changed. The love and passion between the two of them is clear for all to say, and so very heartwarming. I found myself very invested in this story, willing that Matt has gone on to find happiness in whatever comes his way after the loss of his lovely wife.
I would highly recommend this book; I simply could't offer more than three stars due to how much I struggled to wrap my head round the latter half of the book.
June 25, 2020
Lecretia's Choice: A Story of Love, Death and the Law was a poignant and beautiful book from start to finish and I have to say that Matt Vickers prose was just astounding. It navigates how he met Lecretia and her career as a lawyer and the life she wanted to live following her cancer diagnosis and the court case she brought up to have the right to be assisted to die on her own terms. You could really tell from reading this book that Lecretia's character and personality shone through - it was as if you knew her personally. More importantly, the case of Seales v Attorney-General which concerned with whether a doctor could assist a terminally ill patient in ending her own life. More importantly, this book should be highlighted for Lecretia's case was one that began sparking conversation on our individual right to end our life on our own terms when we no longer are well - specifically terminally ill. Also to think about your vote in the End-of-Life Choice referendum this year too! Lovely read that was quick and easy.
October 7, 2016
A wonderful book and an engaging read. A multifaceted book, it starts with a delightful, very real and relatable love story before moving on to Lecretia's cancer diagnosis and the battle for her right to have her doctor's help in dying under her own terms. Matt Vickers' honesty, humility and warmth enliven their story and the details of the court case are revealing and thought-out provoking. Couldn't recommend it highly enough.
June 11, 2017
A thoroughly good read. It was a love story, told from the heart. Being a New Zealander we wee very aware of Lecretia and Matt's fight in the media. A fight that, from one who has been through Cancer, knows that we should have the right for choice. Lecretia was a very strong woman, as the story told shows right through. It had me in tears with the good bits, and sad. A very moving story, that is well deserved to be shared with many. Thank you Matt, for sharing this beautiful well written, important story with us. Long may the fight continue.
May 18, 2017
When I read the synopsis, I had no hesitation in downloading this e-book. The reason being is that someone very close to our family has Huntingdon's disease. She has already vowed that when the time comes, she wants to end her life.
This was a very well written book and very moving. One that I can certainly relate to. Words fail me, but I would highly recommend.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.
This was a very well written book and very moving. One that I can certainly relate to. Words fail me, but I would highly recommend.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.
May 31, 2017
This is a very brave book. And while it leads to an inevitable, heartbreaking conclusion, the honesty and the love Matt has for Lecretia shines through and makes it also a book of hope.
Thanks Matt for giving us this story. Reading it has given me a new perspective on life and love. I feel lucky to have known Lecretia and you through your words.
At its heart this book is a love-story, with two shining brave souls.
Thanks Matt for giving us this story. Reading it has given me a new perspective on life and love. I feel lucky to have known Lecretia and you through your words.
At its heart this book is a love-story, with two shining brave souls.
May 27, 2018
Wow. There isn't much else to say. What Matt, Lecretia and their families went through is something I don't ever have to do. I have my thoughts and feelings on this subject and it really made me look at it from another's point of view. This book was very well written and you can feel the love Matt had for his wife and how devastated he was.
September 9, 2018
A searing read that I picked up in the morning and barely put down until I had finished it at dinner.
Have your tissues handy, and prepare to be both devastated at the loss of this vibrant life, and angry at the way the palliative care industry wanted her to die.
Thanks to Matt for writing such an amazing book - your love for Lecretia is so clear and vivid, all the way through.
Roll on law reform. Lecretia should have been able to have a treatment that allowed her to pass in peace, especially when it became clear that passing was imminent.
Have your tissues handy, and prepare to be both devastated at the loss of this vibrant life, and angry at the way the palliative care industry wanted her to die.
Thanks to Matt for writing such an amazing book - your love for Lecretia is so clear and vivid, all the way through.
Roll on law reform. Lecretia should have been able to have a treatment that allowed her to pass in peace, especially when it became clear that passing was imminent.
August 5, 2021
I remember following the Seales v Attorney-General case with much interest, not only because I was a budding political mind in high school, but because of my own experience watching close loved-ones struggle with the process of death - and the inability for them to control their own morality. But to view this book as a analysis of Lecretia's legal battle for euthanasia is far too short-sighted.
Lecretia's Choice is far more a book about love. And not in the romantic sense, but in the realistic. Vickers, a writer by nature, spectacularly sums up the turbulent nature of love. Much time is spent not only telling the story of two urbanites falling for one another, but the story of falling into each other. How love draws people together, and your life becomes a single entity. Lecretia's choice isn't hers alone, but Matt's too. He becomes entangled in her struggle with cancer, and her struggle for justice. It is as much his journey as hers, and all of the strife and pain that comes along with it. You feel like you're there with him, as he watches his wife descend into the bowels of death. It is an utterly fantastic case study into what a true relationship is like. He does not avoid the dramatic, retelling much of the raw side of ill health. The arguments, the battles, the trips to the hospital, the emotional turmoil it has on partners and friends and family. I found myself incredibly moved throughout and was blessed to feel a level of connection to Seales' life that only a husband could share.
When euthanasia won at the ballot, i thought not of my personal wish, but of Lecretia's. And this book (gifted to me during Christmas by someone i held dear) brought me closer to her struggle for what we can now all call a right. I cried when i finished, and immediately made those close to me read it too. We must all always remember Lecretia for what she did and the history she made for all of us. I wish i could thank Vickers for his incredible story, and his strength.
Lecretia's Choice is far more a book about love. And not in the romantic sense, but in the realistic. Vickers, a writer by nature, spectacularly sums up the turbulent nature of love. Much time is spent not only telling the story of two urbanites falling for one another, but the story of falling into each other. How love draws people together, and your life becomes a single entity. Lecretia's choice isn't hers alone, but Matt's too. He becomes entangled in her struggle with cancer, and her struggle for justice. It is as much his journey as hers, and all of the strife and pain that comes along with it. You feel like you're there with him, as he watches his wife descend into the bowels of death. It is an utterly fantastic case study into what a true relationship is like. He does not avoid the dramatic, retelling much of the raw side of ill health. The arguments, the battles, the trips to the hospital, the emotional turmoil it has on partners and friends and family. I found myself incredibly moved throughout and was blessed to feel a level of connection to Seales' life that only a husband could share.
When euthanasia won at the ballot, i thought not of my personal wish, but of Lecretia's. And this book (gifted to me during Christmas by someone i held dear) brought me closer to her struggle for what we can now all call a right. I cried when i finished, and immediately made those close to me read it too. We must all always remember Lecretia for what she did and the history she made for all of us. I wish i could thank Vickers for his incredible story, and his strength.
January 25, 2023
This book was AMAZING!!! I really enjoyed the read and didn’t want to put it down, definitely an eye opener book.
September 14, 2022
Very well written. Easy to read, despite the emotional content. Sad, of course, but got a real feel for the person Lecretia was. Thank you Matt for writing this so well for us to read. And THANK YOU to Lecretia for starting the ball rolling to give us the choice.
September 11, 2016
Very well written book. Have a great insight into who Lecretia was.
February 4, 2017
Weaves in what happened in the court case, their narrative, the research and arguments for and against assisted dying together. Very clear and compelling
June 20, 2017
Moving and memorable.
This was a very moving book and, for the most part, beautifully written. It starts nice and simply with the author telling us of how he and Lecretia met, their courtship, it was really quite sweet. Also appealing to me was the travel aspect as he goes on a backpacking trip to Thailand and the UK. I enjoyed reading all the travel details, where he went, the places they visited together etc. It’s the start of a beautiful journey together and they look forward to trying for a family.
After finding his soul mate, their happiness is to be thrown a massive bombshell: Lecretia has a brain tumour.
This was so moving, so poignant. For me, it just lost something when there were long stretches of legal stuff. I found it a bit rambling and think that a lot of it didn't need to be there-the writing was at its best when concentrating on telling about Lecretia and Matt.
This is the story of an amazing woman, her fight with cancer, and the fight for her right to die with dignity.
This was a very moving book and, for the most part, beautifully written. It starts nice and simply with the author telling us of how he and Lecretia met, their courtship, it was really quite sweet. Also appealing to me was the travel aspect as he goes on a backpacking trip to Thailand and the UK. I enjoyed reading all the travel details, where he went, the places they visited together etc. It’s the start of a beautiful journey together and they look forward to trying for a family.
After finding his soul mate, their happiness is to be thrown a massive bombshell: Lecretia has a brain tumour.
This was so moving, so poignant. For me, it just lost something when there were long stretches of legal stuff. I found it a bit rambling and think that a lot of it didn't need to be there-the writing was at its best when concentrating on telling about Lecretia and Matt.
This is the story of an amazing woman, her fight with cancer, and the fight for her right to die with dignity.
September 22, 2017
Books such as this are neither good, nor bad, just varying degrees of horribleness. This is Matt's account of his beautiful wife, Lecretia's battle against a virulent brain tumour plus a fight with the New Zealand government to change the law so that people in similar situations can choose how and when to die. She was a successful high flying lawyer when she started getting the first worrying symptoms of this merciless illness. Brutally honest about what happened, how they coped, his feelings and the shortcomings of the New Zealand health service. Very sad, but uplifting at the same time. I was given this ARC by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2017
A passionate story of love, determination, and the heartaches of Lecretia Slates pursuit to legalize assisted dying, as told by her husband, Matt Vickers. Beautifully told and hard to put down. It furthered my belief that terminally ill patients should have rights in choosing what manner their passing, including assisted dying, should be.
December 26, 2023
Confronting, powerful.
November 6, 2016
'Lecretia's Choice' is an undeniably well written and informative book about the painful personal situation Lecretia and her husband Matt Vickers endured and the difficult social issue her illness brought to the attention of the New Zealand public.
The reason I haven't rated it a full five stars is also why, ultimately, the book wasn't quite as impactful and moving as it could have been-
and perhaps it's just an unfortunate consequence of trying to reconstruct events after an individual has died and can no longer contribute their own thoughts and feelings, but it felt like we were observing Lecretia from a great distance. As though she were a secondary, barely participating character in her own story.
Particularly after she became ill, she is described by the mechanics of her disease; by what she could or could not physically do as time went past.
Unfortunately the book became more about Matt himself than Lecretia. For example on page 268 it is mentioned that the author has to drink water to keep his throat from being parched because he has spent such an impressive amount of time reading affidavits out to his wife while she merely eats feijoas.
Instead I really would have liked to have heard what she had had to say during that time, seen more of her participation, activity, opinions and personality through out the case. Instead she is somewhat lost in the background.
Despite this, I would recommend this book to others.
The reason I haven't rated it a full five stars is also why, ultimately, the book wasn't quite as impactful and moving as it could have been-
and perhaps it's just an unfortunate consequence of trying to reconstruct events after an individual has died and can no longer contribute their own thoughts and feelings, but it felt like we were observing Lecretia from a great distance. As though she were a secondary, barely participating character in her own story.
Particularly after she became ill, she is described by the mechanics of her disease; by what she could or could not physically do as time went past.
Unfortunately the book became more about Matt himself than Lecretia. For example on page 268 it is mentioned that the author has to drink water to keep his throat from being parched because he has spent such an impressive amount of time reading affidavits out to his wife while she merely eats feijoas.
Instead I really would have liked to have heard what she had had to say during that time, seen more of her participation, activity, opinions and personality through out the case. Instead she is somewhat lost in the background.
Despite this, I would recommend this book to others.
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April 29, 2024Stalked the Xero man
May 7, 2018
Ccould not put it down.
Raw, confronting, passionate & articulate.
Raw, confronting, passionate & articulate.
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