Dying in the Red Chair (Paperback)

Ann L. Colbert

ISBN 13: 9798234116666

Published by Colbez Press, 2026

About this Item

Paperback. Is it bravery or cowardice to hasten death when there is no hope of living? Is it selfish or selfless to avoid the inevitable decline and dependence? Is it a sin? Alone in her beautiful house, a newly widowed woman wrestles with these questions, knowing only that "the silence was nothing like a silence she had known."Dying in the Red Chair follows the decades-long relationship between Etta, an empathetic OB/GYN, and Arnie, a pragmatic ER doctor, as they build a life, a family, and a medical career in rural Kentucky. When Arnie is diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, his lifelong belief in controlling his own death becomes an imminent reality. To honor the man she loves, Etta must navigate her own grief, a strict religious upbringing, and the ethical complexities of terminal illness to support Arnie's choice of Medical Aid in Dying.Shifting gracefully from the chaotic, high-stakes emergency bays of a rural hospital to the quiet sanctuary of the Appalachian woods, this poignant novel explores life, medicine, and mortality. In a powerful narrative twist-reflecting how we can never truly know another's mind-the story is told from everyone's perspective except the dying man's. Through Etta and her daughter's eyes, Dying in the Red Chair delivers a profound exploration of human connection, showing how building a life occurs in slow time, while the end of a life happens in fast time. One reviewer writes, "The themes of death, religion, and the moral implications surrounding the choice of taking one's own life, as well as the nature and purpose of suffering was such a powerful comment on the human condition. I think there wasn't a better place to explore this theme than through your cast of characters who all work and deal in the medical field, work around death, and have experienced death in all spheres of their life." A physician couple must address the husband's terminal diagnosis and his decision to hasten life's end. The concept of suffering, so often present at work, invades the safety of their forest home. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9798234116666

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Dying in the Red Chair (Paperback)
• Publisher: Colbez Press
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798234116666
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Is it bravery or cowardice to hasten death when there is no hope of living? Is it selfish or selfless to avoid the inevitable decline and dependence? Is it a sin? Alone in her beautiful house, a newly widowed woman wrestles with these questions, knowing only that “the silence was nothing like a silence she had known.”

Dying in the Red Chair follows the decades-long relationship between Etta, an empathetic OB/GYN, and Arnie, a pragmatic ER doctor, as they build a life, a family, and a medical career in rural Kentucky. When Arnie is diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, his lifelong belief in controlling his own death becomes an imminent reality. To honor the man she loves, Etta must navigate her own grief, a strict religious upbringing, and the ethical complexities of terminal illness to support Arnie's choice of Medical Aid in Dying.

Shifting gracefully from the chaotic, high-stakes emergency bays of a rural hospital to the quiet sanctuary of the Appalachian woods, this poignant novel explores life, medicine, and mortality. In a powerful narrative twist—reflecting how we can never truly know another's mind—the story is told from everyone's perspective except the dying man’s. Through Etta and her daughter’s eyes, Dying in the Red Chair delivers a profound exploration of human connection, showing how building a life occurs in slow time, while the end of a life happens in fast time.

One reviewer writes, "The themes of death, religion, and the moral implications surrounding the choice of taking one’s own life, as well as the nature and purpose of suffering was such a powerful comment on the human condition. I think there wasn’t a better place to explore this theme than through your cast of characters who all work and deal in the medical field, work around death, and have experienced death in all spheres of their life."