Sadly, I did not have time to read this book before it was archived, however, I still believe it is a worthwhile read!

Thank you #netgalley and @booksgosocial for this e-ARC in return for my honest review.

If you only read one book this year, read this one. This book was written with so much compassion and love. No one wants to be left to figure out what a loved one wants at the end of their life. No one want to struggle to communicate to our families what we want when the quality of our life has degraded to an extent that we wonder how much longer we can go on. The book is full of angst and decisions that no one should have to make on behave of another. It shows us that love has no bounds.

The story was interesting but it was very slow to get going. It is really about a mom who suffered a stroke and her struggle to communicate with her kids. The children feel a burden to take care of their mom. It is really a sad story.

This book hit close to home to me, as I am almost 81, not in the best health and often wishing I could die. Ruth, whom the story is about in the same boat, except that she has suffered a stroke and can do even less than I. Not only that, she is speechless and has to make her family understand her. She wants them to help her die. They have mixed emotions, but none of them really wants to take care of her. I could feel so much empathy for her, a little for her kids, but I wasn't crazy about any of them. A little hard to get through, partly because they are in another part of the world with their own customs and beliefs.

I've read one other book on this subject and both have left me with questions. I've always believed that when it's your turn to leave this earth, you will die. But, as this story shows, it's not always cut and dry. What happens when you lose the ability of everything other than sight, and hearing. You're surrounded by people taking care of you, no privacy, longing to be able to do the things that brought you joy, and waking each day to the same. How many live in Nursing Homes wanting to end it but there is no way. I recommend you read this detailed story and decide for yourself what you would want but how would you deal with it. Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the chance to read this.

The story starts quite interesting. Should one let somebody die who wants to die? But letting somebody die after an attempted suicide and actively helping somebody to find a place to legally get euthanasia aren't the same thing. That's the situation Ruth puts her family in.
It's definitely an interesting theme for a novel, but this book did not evoke the emotions one would suspect. Somehow the characters stay lifeless.

Thanks for netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the arc of Then She Was Speechless by Chana Calderon.

This follows a woman named Ruth whom is an extraordinary 80 year old woman whom also has a PhD in the Arts,. whom has also sadly suffered a stroke in which left her without being able to speak, read, or even write, she also tries to commit suicide.... her children ends up realising that their mother’s situation actually requires 24/7 supervision due to her mental state and they jointly decide to move her into the bosom of the family. Each one of her children have their own personal problems and Ruth’s mental and physical deterioration make the whole situation unbearable and explosive and hard for them all....

Bitter, and no longer wishing to endure her incapacitation, Ruth decides she wishes and wants to die, and without words she asks her children for assistance, as her last wish...

Deep, dark tackles some tiggering topics of suicide and mental health, this was a new type of book for me, interesting and gripping though read within one day!
3 stars - recommend

Ruth at 80 years old decides that due to her poor condition, she would rather die than suffer through it. At her children’s request, she has asked to die with their assistance. After many attempted suicide attempts, her family realise the reality of her condition, and through multiple perspectives from those around her and including herself, tells the tale of how everyone’s personal story takes its toll on not only their own lives, but those around them, including their mother. I recommend this book for someone who wants to read the perspective of someone who is no longer able to communicate directly, it has great interpretation of that. However, I found it a slow, uneventful and predictable read, but still beautifully written with great language used through out. I enjoyed the changes between character perspectives though sometimes became meddled with what was happening to who.

This is a heartbreaking take of love, compassion, family and loyalty. I couldn’t help putting myself in their shoes and asking myself what would I do if I was faced with this dilemma. My heart went out to each child as their struggles between their loyalty to their mother and their own personal troubles. I feel the author could have written more emotionally though and with a little more fluency. I found this to be disjointed at times and it didn’t fully hold my attention. My kind often drifted and tended to lose interest. It was interesting though and very sad at times.

I found this an interesting question to read about. It was a difficult read as one tends to put one's self in this situation. Families are difficult and some thing like this means lots of communication 💔. The side stories were good too. If you want to be emotionally drained read this 😢

This is Chana Calderon’s debut novel and it centres round Ruth, an 80 year old woman living in Israel. Two years ago Ruth had a stroke which left her unable to speak – her only means of conversation were a few indecipherable sounds, hand movements and a rudimentary mime system which was unsatisfactory for her and her family. We learn that she studied the Arts and gained a PhD; that she had children, that she was widowed and that her lover had also died.

As the story unfolds we witness Ruth’s and her family’s frustrations with the reality of her life and caring for her. Her plan to end her life is thwarted when her son returns to the home unexpectedly and finds that Ruth is still breathing. Should he save her, or let her drift away. And so, Ruth urges her family to find her a way to end her life, her suffering – and give her peace. Eventually they find Dignitas.

With regret, I have to admit that I did not warm to any of the characters; nor did I experience any strong feelings that Ruth’s situation should foster. On an intellectual level, I could witness the events, identify with the complexities and tragedy of the situation but my emotions were not engaged. The nearest I can identify with the situation is a detachment to the action, much like Ruth’s detachment to the events at Dignitas where the author cleverly describes Ruth’s withdrawal from the people, and the world as she takes her leave of it.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Ruth is an amazing lady with a strong will and a strong mind. When she has a stroke and is left speechless, she decides "Enough is Enough".
The trouble is how can she explain her wishes to her children? This is a family journey to do the "right" thing or their loved one!
Definitely a story of love, fear, determination, heartache, quality vs quantity and finally acceptance!