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And Other Lessons from the Crematory
W.W. Norton
September 2014
On Sale: September 15, 2014
272 pages
ISBN: 0393240231
EAN: 9780393240238
Kindle: B00J8R3MYW
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction Memoir
A young mortician goes behind the scenes, unafraid
of the gruesome (and fascinating) details of her curious
profession. Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin
Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history
and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory,
turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a
profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both
living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the
secretive culture of those who care for the deceased. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes tells an unusual
coming-of-age story full of bizarre encounters and
unforgettable scenes. Caring for dead bodies of every color,
shape, and affliction, Caitlin soon becomes an intrepid
explorer in the world of the dead. She describes how she
swept ashes from the machines (and sometimes onto her
clothes) and reveals the strange history of cremation and
undertaking, marveling at bizarre and wonderful funeral
practices from different cultures. Her eye-opening, candid, and often hilarious story is like
going on a journey with your bravest friend to the cemetery
at midnight. She demystifies death, leading us behind the
black curtain of her unique profession. And she answers
questions you didn’t know you had: Can you catch a disease
from a corpse? How many dead bodies can you fit in a Dodge
van? What exactly does a flaming skull look like? Honest and heartfelt, self-deprecating and ironic, Caitlin's
engaging style makes this otherwise taboo topic both
approachable and engrossing. Now a licensed mortician with
an alternative funeral practice, Caitlin argues that our
fear of dying warps our culture and society, and she calls
for better ways of dealing with death (and our dead).
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