Anatomy of a Yes is a firsthand account of life, death, and second chances in the overlooked hills and hollers of Appalachian America—told from the unique vantage point of a trauma chaplain turned organ donation advocate.

Set in emergency rooms, ICU corridors, and living rooms across Appalachian America, this book blends narrative nonfiction with cultural analysis to explore the intimate, complex world of organ donation in a region where trust in institutions is fragile, access to healthcare is uneven, and grief is often carried in silence.

Author Brent Whetstone brings nearly a decade of experience in chaplaincy and donation advocacy to the page, offering unflinching honesty and deep compassion as he guides readers through the sacred terrain of donor conversations, brain death declarations, and the quiet heroism of families who say yes. With a voice both clinical and pastoral, Whetstone captures the emotional, spiritual, and systemic realities of donation work in a part of America too often left out of the national conversation.

For readers of Being Mortal by Atul Gawande and When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Anatomy of a Yes is not just a memoir—it’s a field guide for empathy, a call to action for equity in donation, and a love letter to the resilience of Appalachian communities.