''Jean's Way'' (originally subtitled ''A Love Story''), a book by

Derek Humphry Derek Humphry (29 April 1930 – 2 January 2025) was a British and American journalist and author. He was a proponent of legal assisted suicide and the right to die. In 1980 he co-founded the Hemlock Society and in 2004 after the Society dissol ...

, is an account of Humphry's terminally ill wife's planned suicide from suffering. The book is his first on the issue of

voluntary euthanasia Voluntary euthanasia is the purposeful ending of another person's life at their request, in order to relieve them of suffering. Voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) have been the focus of intense debate in the 21st century, ...

and

assisted suicide Assisted suicide, sometimes restricted to the context of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is the process by which a person, with the help of others, takes actions to end their life. Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifie ...

Overview

, a journalist on the ''

London Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of New ...

'' and author of ''Because They're Black'', published ''Jean's Way'' in 1978. The book became a bestseller in the UK, was translated into eight languages, and has been reprinted 17 times.+ The 2003 printing in English by Norris Lane Press () is 160 pages and includes a new full-color jacket and updated preface. The 2003 English edition is available in paperback and eBook formats. ''Jean's Way'' translations have been published in Finland, Norway, Hebrew, Japan, Poland, Spain, Mexico, France, Turkey and Germany.

Jean Humphry

Jean Humphry was born Jean Edna Crane on March 23, 1932, in Hulme (Manchester), UK. Her family moved to

Wythenshawe Wythenshawe () is an area of Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, in 1931 Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a large housing estate there in the 1920s. With an area of approximately , ...

, a Manchester suburb, where Jean received a public school education. In 1951 Miss Crane was appointed 'Miss Wythenshawe', a volunteer task ceremoniously to open fetes, flower shows and exhibitions as the district had no Mayor. On May 4, 1953, Jean married Derek Humphry in Manchester. They had three sons, one adopted. She died March 29, 1975, in

Langley Burrell Langley Burrell is a village in the civil parish of Langley Burrell Without, just north of Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. It is the largest settlement in the parish, which includes the hamlets of Peckingell (south of the village) and Kellaways ...

, Wiltshire, as a consequence of breast cancer which had become

carcinomatosis Carcinosis, or carcinomatosis, is disseminated cancer, forms of metastasis, whether used generally or in specific patterns of spread. Usage Carcinomatosis is often restricted to tumors of epithelial origin, adenocarcinomas, while sarcomatosis desc ...

Book summary

At the time of the first publication's first edition, not only was assisted suicide against the law, it was also highly taboo. Jean Humphry had suffered for more than two years from

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

, which spread throughout her whole body, as described in the first nine chapters. She decided it was her time for an assisted death, and proceeded with her plan so that she could die in peace and dignity in her own home rather than in hospital. This was an individual decision; the couple did not know then (1975) about

euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...

and

, which later became highly controversial as the

right to die The right to die is a concept rooted in the belief that individuals have the Self-ownership, autonomy to make fundamental decisions about their own lives, including the choice to Suicide, end them or undergo voluntary euthanasia, central to the b ...

issue mushroomed. Living Wills were then just becoming known. Some nine months earlier, the couple had made a pact at Jean's instigation that she could take her life if she wished if the final weeks were unbearable to her. Jean had stipulated that she would only do it with Derek's agreement. At Jean's request, Derek secured a lethal overdose from a sympathetic doctor and stored it in a secure place in their home in Wiltshire. When the pain and distress became too great to bear, Jean asked for the drugs so that she could die. When she was ready, Derek mixed the lethal potion into a mug of coffee. After saying, "Goodbye, my love" Jean downed the drink and died within the hour. In Chapter 10, ''Is This the Day?'', Derek describes her last day before her death. On publication of the book, British police asked Derek if it was true, and he signed a statement to the effect that it was. But the Director of Public Prosecutions, who has discretion over assisted suicide laws, decided not to prosecute Derek.

Post publication

The popularity of ''Jean's Way'' started the movement to legalize

as a choice for competent adults at the end of life. (Previously, the movement had concentrated solely on '

' by direct injection.) Derek founded the

Hemlock Society The Hemlock Society (sometimes called Hemlock Society USA) was an American right-to-die and assisted suicide advocacy organization which existed from 1980 to 2003, and took its name from the hemlock plant ''Conium maculatum'', a highly poisonous h ...

in 1980 to campaign for greater acceptance of justifiable assisted suicide and also wrote the international bestselling book ''

Final Exit ''Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying,'' often shortened to just ''Final Exit'', is a 1991 book written by Derek Humphry, a British-born American journalist, author, and assisted suicide advocate ...

''. In 1990, ''Jean's Way'' became the basis for a dramatic stage play entitled '' Is This the Day?'' written by

Vilma Hollingbery Vilma Jean Napier Brown (21 July 1932 – 11 September 2021), known professionally as Vilma Hollingbery, was a British character actress. She appeared in various television programmes and films over a span of sixty years, and was known for her ...

. It had its world premiere at the Royal Theatre in Northampton, UK, and had short runs in Germany and the USA. The book foreshadowed the

Oregon Death with Dignity Act Measure 16 of 1994 established the U.S. state of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act ( ORS 127.800–995), which legalizes medical aid in dying (commonly referred to as physician-assisted suicide) with certain restrictions. Passage of this initiati ...

, which Derek pioneered in 1986 and as a team player worked for its eventual passage in 1994. In the application of both Oregon law and

Swiss law Swiss law is a set of rules which constitutes the law in Switzerland. Structure and Sources There is a hierarchy of political levels which reflects the legal and constitutional character of Switzerland. The Federal law (, , ) consist of the ...

, with legally approved ways of assisting deaths at the end of life, Jean's Way is the method used. In

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

it is used by Dignitas and EXIT, the Swiss society for humane dying.Used by permission of Derek Humphry.
/ref>

Bibliography

*''The Good Death: The New American Search to Reshape the End of Life'', Marilyn Webb, Bantam, 1997. *''A Chosen Death: The Dying Confront Assisted Suicide'', Lonny Shavelson, Simon & Schuster, 1995. *"Derek Humphry" in ''Current Biography'', Volume 56, Number 3, March 1995, H. W. Wilson Company. *"Document 108: Jean's Way" in ''The Right to Die Debate: A Documentary History'', edited by Margaret B. Zucker, Greenwood Press, 1999. *"Voluntary Euthanasia" in ''Pro & Con'', Walter Isaacson, Puttnam, NY. 1983. *''The Enigma of Suicide'', George Howe Colt, Summit Books, NY, 1991. *''The Least Worst Death: The Politics of Dying,'' Margaret Pabst Battin, OUP, 1994. *''Good Life, Good Death: Memoir'', Derek Humphry, Carrel Books, New York 2017

Notes

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External links

''Jean's Way''
book information

''Jean's Way''
book availability 2003 non-fiction books Assisted suicide American memoirs Euthanasia