Having seen more than her fair share of death through the passing of her mother, father, elderly neighbor, and various other relatives, author Myers learned the right way to approach the end of life–and the wrong way. In a book that’s part self-help guide and part memoir, colorful first-person stories of Myers’ friends and family members lead into tips on everything from creating a eulogy to preserving memories to keeping the peace among siblings after the reading of a will.
Her common-sense attitude toward death may be a throwback to her undertaker grandfather, Papa Jep, who “made sure his people were sensible about death, and he didn’t tolerate shenanigans.” Witty, spunky, and brutally honest, Myers shows through example both the pitfalls and the small moments of grace that mark the end-of-life journey. However, while her lively voice makes for an entertaining read, the book’s idiosyncratic “ABC” format makes it difficult to locate, and benefit from, specific nuggets of information and insight that are sprinkled throughout.
Myers describes her book as “The Ultimate Planning Guide” but vacillates between guiding readers for their own needs and as caretakers. Read this book not as a step-by-step instructional but as the whimsical, down-to-earth advice of a thoughtful friend who’s seen it all and wants you to learn from her experience.
