Finding Frances - Softcover

Van Dyck, J. M.

3.82

38 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0982614004 ISBN 13: 9780982614006

Publisher: J. M. Van Dyck, 2010

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Product DescriptionIs there such a thing as a good death? Frances Baldwin is dying and instead of fearing the end, she welcomes death as a consequence of her terminal condition. Frances regards any marginally effective medical intervention as interfering with life’s natural process. This quality of life discussion is at the heart of author Janice Van Dyck’s family drama, Finding Frances. The novel examines the moral and ethical constraints imposed by modern medicine as a family faces end-of-life decisions. Frances asks her son, William, a medical school drop-out, to help her deal with his lawyer brother Randy, his divorced sister Sugar, and father-in-denial Bill. William is faced with the demanding and complex task of mediating the divergent opinions of each family member and the medical establishment in an attempt to honor his mother’s desire to have a peaceful death. Finding Frances brings into focus the larger cultural, ethical, and legal issues confronting everyone today in this age of patients’ rights versus institutionalized healthcare. Janice Van Dyck confronts these difficult issues with a deft hand in bringing out the subtleties of all of the characters’ points of view. The story is a tribute to human dignity exemplified by an exceptional and inspirational woman, who in the author’s words, “...died as she lived—with dignity and occasional flashes of brilliance and hilarity.”

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About the Author:

Janice M. Van Dyck was born in Philadelphia and is a former corporate officer, organizational development consultant and communications specialist. She lives on the west coast of Florida. Her first novel was The O'Malley Trilogy, and she is at work on her next book.

Review:

Editorial Reviews

"How does each person want to live? How would they want to die?...Our current medical system is required to do whatever it can to prolong life. Is there a way for us to improve on that model? Van Dyck brings these questions smoothly to the surface without ever pushing an agenda or setting up arguments. She leaves the reader wishing death could be made easier and glad that the family and hospital finally helped Frances go." The Washington Times

"It is a real joy to read this novel, which is rooted in the present reality that our advances in technology have outpaced our ability to restrain them. Our journey on this planet has a beginning and an ending. We have to ease the burdens of the final goodbye and relearn the naturalness of dying." --Lofty Basta, MD, Author of "Graceful Exit" and "Life and Death on Your Own Terms"

"I thought of this book as I watched Monday night s offering of the Showtime series, Nurse Jackie... Do we ever understand fully what family or friends of dying patients go through?" ...Perspective: Nurses

"Something about this story grabbed me and compelled me to read to the end." --Gail Guterl, ADVANCE Book Club for Nurses

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