The Other Side of the Straitjacket
A Daughter's Story of Mental Illness and Assisted Dying
The Other Side of the Straitjacket: A Daughter’s Story of Mental Illness and Assisted Dying is a memoir of love, loss, and the urgent fight for truth.
Available Summer 2026 — Preorder now to be among the first to receive this urgent, unforgettable story.
Arriving Summer 2026
“When I first reported on Donna Duncan’s story, I knew it deserved a national audience. Four years later, I still wonder whether the circumstances surrounding her death are what Sue Rodriguez and Kay Carter envisioned when they fought for the right to die in Canada.”
“Alicia’s love for her mother and devastation at her loss are beautifully
and painfully captured on every must-read page.”
“An intimate story that brings the complex question of assisted dying
into sharp relief. An essential read for practitioners, legislators and
anyone grappling with end-of-life decisions.”
Clinicians must assess mental capacity before approving medical assistance in dying. But what happens when the system designed to ensure safety misses what matters most?
When Donna Duncan chose medical assistance in dying (MAiD), her daughter, Alicia, searched for understanding. How had a woman struggling with mental health challenges been allowed to make such a choice?
Looking for answers, Alicia succeeded in launching a police investigation, the first in Canada. What began as a private heartbreak quickly became a matter of national controversy as she uncovered troubling gaps in medical safeguards, exposing a system that often prioritizes policy over people, especially those living at the margins. The Other Side of the Straitjacket lays bare the human cost of end-of-life legislation and the devastating consequences of unrecognized mental health struggles.
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