Obitchuary

Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death grows out of the podcast of the same name, hosted by Madison Reyes and Spencer Henry. It takes a funny, sharp-eyed look at how Americans deal with death and how we end up being remembered.

Everyone thinks about dying at some point, wanted or not. The hosts have wondered about the odder questions, such as what keepsakes can be made from a person's remains, and which deathbed confessions have been the most scandalous in history. To answer them, they spent countless hours combing the darker corners of the internet, digging through newspaper archives, reading documents, and questioning experts who work in the death industry.

The chapters carry titles like "Coffin Confessions," "Executions to Die For," "The Last Word," and "If These Dolls Could Speak." Along the way the authors cover a surprisingly colorful mix of history, traditions, and current practices. Taboo subjects get the same treatment, with plenty of vivid and funny detail on what they call FUNerals, cremation, themed funerals, famous body snatchers, and more.

The tone swings between macabre and moving. The book looks closely at the physical side of death, and it also asks what our attitudes toward dying reveal about us and how we choose to honor the people we have lost.