Wild and precious life / Deborah Ziegler.

"Written by Deborah Ziegler, the mother of Brittany Maynard--a twenty-nine-year-old woman with a terminal brain tumor--this touching and beautiful memoir captures and celebrates her daughter's spirit and the mostly untold story of Brittany's last year of life as she chose her right to die with dignity, a journey that inspired millions. On October 6, 2014, a video of my daughter, Brittany Maynard, was posted on YouTube. Brittany asked me to do the video with her, to support her. The first words my daughter uttered on the film were, "The thoughts that go through your mind when you find out you have so little time is everything you need to say to everyone that you love." Wearing a simple black sweater, her face already rounded and puffy from taking prescribed steroids, her once waist-length hair now grazing her shoulders after a craniotomy, Brittany described why she was choosing to end her life by her own hand rather than waiting for her brain tumor to rob her of everything that defined who she was. In this poignant, powerful book, Deborah Ziegler makes good on the promise she made to her only child: that she would honor her daughter and carry forward her legacy by sharing their story and offering hope, empowerment, and inspiration to the growing tens of millions of people who are struggling with end-of-life issues. Wild and Precious Life is not a book about death, however. Instead, it is a book about a life well-lived. What emerges in this compassionate and lyrical text is an unforgettable story of how, while we can't control the hand fate delivers, we can decide how we play it. It is also a thoughtful exploration of America's ongoing struggle with end-of-life issues and most importantly, a touching tribute to the enduring power of a mother and daughter's love"-- Provided by publisher.

Part one: Catastrophe. Foreboding ; Bad news ; Willful child ; Not on the same page ; The two of us ; Promises ; Sweet Pea ; Craniotomy -- Part two: Renunciation. Denial ; Middle years ; Recovery ; High school hell ; Bad mother ; Spreading wings ; It can always get worse -- Part three: Epiphany. First love ; No cake for you ; Berkeley girl ; Living in the moment in Alaska ; Changing her mind (a woman's prerogative) ; Making a nest to die in ; Playing house ; Love you hate you ; Free bird ; Pre-grief is a nasty bitch ; Mountain climbing and a wedding ; Twenty-nine years ; Married lady ; I want her back ; Dust to dust -- Epilogue: Machu Picchu.

"Written by Deborah Ziegler, the mother of Brittany Maynard--a twenty-nine-year-old woman with a terminal brain tumor--this touching and beautiful memoir captures and celebrates her daughter's spirit and the mostly untold story of Brittany's last year of life as she chose her right to die with dignity, a journey that inspired millions."--Amazon.com.

"At the age of 29, Brittany Maynard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. This was not, however, the end of her journey, but the beginning. Brittany's struggle to accept the diagnosis, and choose a path toward death, led eventually to the decision to take her own life before it could be taken from her. And on November 1, 2014, Brittany did just that. The video she posted on YouTube weeks before her death introduced twenty million viewers to her story, which is now told in full by her mother. In this poignant, powerful book, Deborah Ziegler makes good on the promise she made to her only child: that she would honor her daughter and carry forward her legacy by sharing their story and offering hope, empowerment, and inspiration to the growing tens of millions of people who are struggling with end-of-life issues. Wild and Precious Life is not a book about death-~it is a book about a life well lived. What emerges in this compassionate and lyrical text is an unforgettable story of how, while we can't control the hand fate delivers, we can decide how we play that hand. It is also a thoughtful exploration of America's ongoing debate about the right to die and, most importantly, a touching tribute to the enduring power of a mother and daughter's love."--Dust jacket.