Mercy Lily
$2.99
Lily’s mother has slowly been losing herself to MS. When traditional treatment and other therapies fail, it becomes clear that she wants to die. In Oregon, the Death with Dignity Act allows a patient to make the decision to end their own life. Now Lily, a high school sophomore, has to make an unimaginable choice.
Format: Ebook
ISBN: 9780738730127
Publisher: Flux
Tags: Reading Level: Grades 9-12, Interest Level: Grades 9-12, Grief, Family
I take the bees outside, unscrew the lid of the bee jar, and listen to their angry buzzing. “I hate you,” I whisper. Lily’s mother has slowly been losing herself to multiple sclerosis. After traditional treatment fails, she uses bee sting therapy, administered by Lily, to alleviate her pain. Lily is trained as a veterinary assistant, so she can easily handle the treatments. What she can’t handle is what happens when the bee sting therapy fails and it becomes clear that her mom wants to die. One beautiful spring day, Lily’s mother asks her for the most impossible thing of all—mercy. While navigating first love, friendship, and other normal worries faced by high school sophomores, Lily also has to choose: help her mom go, or cling to her fading life for all it’s worth.
Copyright: 2011
Page Count: 240
ATOS: 3.8
Lexile: 620L
Rights Territory: Worldwide
Categories:
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Death & Dying
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Family / Parents
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / General
Lisa Albert (Muskego, WI) grew up in the Midwest where she spent many summer afternoons reading at the public library. Albert is the author of three nonfiction books. This is her first book for young adults.
“Teen readers will find this novel both affecting and thought provoking as they identify with Lily’s agony and examine their own beliefs.” — VOYA