Joana Buckley explains in the beginning of Lily Hartford’s Last Request she has long wished to write about assisted dying. She clearly remembered her much loved Grandfather tied to a chair in his Nursing Home, recognising no-one, bored and so unhappy. Her Father was destined to suffer the same fate but refused medication and died prematurely. Assisted dying a huge topic to discuss and the characters that interact in this story help to give a variety of perspectives.
Lilly Hartford had been a strong, amazing woman who lost her husband at an early age and raised her daughter by herself. She created an accounting business and was, in all ways, a successful woman. She and her daughter, Pauline, had a special bond, and always cared deeply for each other. Pauline was a school principal, married to Sam, and a very busy woman but she always looked out for Lilly.
Donna was a worker at the home where Lilly died. For many reasons, Donna was close to Lilly and heartbroken when Lilly asked her to assist with her dying. For all of these characters, the thought of death means something quite different.
The loss of independence for Lilly was unbearable. For Pauline, the loss of “Her rock” meant her world was losing its base. For Donna, refusing to help Lilly meant watching her slow decline into unhappiness.
The anguish and agony felt by each of characters is apparent. For all of them, accepting the changes in life is traumatic. Joanna Buckley has used flashbacks in reverse chronology to give an added insight into Lilly’s earlier years. This is a topic that most of us have given some thought to and is also personal journey through the eyes of the characters in this story.
