The Farewell Tree

For fans of The Handmaid's Tale and Fahrenheit 451 The Farewell Tree follows the story of Saul, a senior in high school who finds himself as a political assassin to stop a referendum that will criminalize suicide prevention. The book takes place in a fictional city which prescribes taking one's own life as a panacea to all personal shortcomings or anomalies, and even builds a train line only for people to jump on tracks. After Saul witnesses his friend Sophie publicly hang herself among cheering crowds, he sets out to learn whether her demise was his fault and how he can save himself from sharing the same fate. In his quest to unearth Sophie's past, Saul discovers betrayals of those closest to him and grapples with mounting guilt. As killing people becomes the only way to save lives, Saul tries to reconcile with himself to forge a future.