The author really captured the feeling of being a young girl in a funeral home and giving a perspective that few of us have once our loved ones pass "from the blue into the black." The book was intriguing and kept my attention throughout.

I enjoyed this, and it was a compelling read, but it I think I wanted a different story than the one the author was telling. It's really interesting, and I loved hearing about the mortuary preparations and surrounding community, but I was a bit less interested in the more personal details of the story. My other small issue was the use of a transgendered slur. I recognize that the book is recounting a story about a different time, and so language used might be less acceptable, but the part I found problematic was that the language was incorporated not into what was said at the time, but as a descriptor. I know that I lean toward "politically correct" language, but that's because certain terms really are used as hate-speech and slurs, and I don't think it's unreasonable to replace them with more modern equivalents that aren't hurtful and loaded. If the term were used in a direct quote, fine, but since that really isn't the case - the individual is described to the reader using a slur, as though it's the same type of descriptor as the deceased's age - I wish an editor or someone had caught it and changed the language. ( )

An intriguing if not gripping look at the funeral home business in a large inner city in the 1970s (I think). Casual descriptions of the bodies: transsexuals, dwarfs, amputees, babies along with graphic descriptions of embalming are leavened by the warmth and sympathy that the Home provides. Most disturbing is the rash of deaths at an early age from violence, neglect, and poor health. Most encouraging is seeing Ms Booker evolve into an accomplished, self-possessed person capable of handling all manner of people and situations. An occasional f-bomb and one (nongraphic) sexual scene, otherwise nothing objectionable and plenty for gory-hounds to love. ( )

In my 36 years on this earth I have had the role of a death sitter three times. I have seen the light that shines in the eyes fade, as the soul transitions to another level. I have waited for the funeral home to come retrieve my loved one’s body and watched as they placed him or her in the body bag. To some it might seem morbid, but I could not leave until the very end. Although I have seen the steps of death, I have been slightly curious about what happens afterwards. I remember how impressed I was when both my grandmother and grandfather looked good. In fact, they were almost unrecognizable after the makeup, embalming, and wigs were applied. I was amazed how the mortician was able to take away the kiss of death, to the point where it looked like they were sleeping in the caskets. This book is about the inner works of a funeral home and one young woman’s experience there. It tells the story of her nine year life lesson, on how a funeral home became a jump start at creating the person she is today.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I loved how the author brought the reader from her first experience as a young fifteen year old girl to a grown woman nine years later. I found the details about the inner workings of the funeral home and its characters to be enjoyable. I was impressed how the author was honest with the location and culture of the funeral. Not everyone has a great deal of money, but most do the best they can. I was told by my grandmother for many years that death is the great equalizer and this book demonstrates this concept through and through. There were no stereotypes, prejudices, ignorance, or blame games of equality. There was only the honest truth about death and its lack of eyes. Death tends to be blind to people and it only senses its victims. This book has a lot to offer and I was very impressed. It answered many of my questions about what takes place in a funeral home when no one is around. I am not one to watch television, so this book gave me answers on a more personable level. I have to recommend this book hands down and must thank both goodreads and the author for sending me this book for review in a giveaway. I appreciate it and am happy that I won! ( )

This is a first person account told by the author of her nine years working in a funeral home in Baltimore. She starts working for the Wylie funeral home as a fifteen year old because she knows the family from her church. The story could be more interesting if it was better written, if the people were more fully described or if the narrative was more compelling. I just didn't feel very attached to anyone in the book and thought that there would be some really interesting insights into the industry or to particular dead people. Not so. Too bad. ( )