Then she was speechless
(Book)

Ruth, an extraordinary eighty-year-old with a PhD in the Arts, who has suffered a stroke that left her without the capacity to speak, read, or write, tries in vain to commit suicide. Dumbstruck, her children realize that their mother’s situation requires 24/7 supervision and they jointly decide to move her into the bosom of the family. Each one of the children, however, has their own personal problems, and Ruth’s mental and physical deterioration make the whole situation unbearable and explosive. Bitter, and no longer wishing to endure her incapacitation, Ruth decides she wishes to die, and without words, asks her children for assistance, as her last wish. When the request becomes a reality, her children face an enormous dilemma — to comply with her last wish or to fight for their beloved mother’s life to the end.