A candid, sensitive, and occasionally humorous account of life as a funeral director.
A debut memoir that meticulously documents every aspect of growing up and working in a Flushing, Michigan, funeral parlor.
With both his father and his uncle working as funeral directors, it’s safe to say that Rossell was born into the trade. He was involved in the day-to-day workings of the parlor from an early age; he speaks of his father always on call and how the family would “rush through dinners so we could finish before the phone would ring and my father would have to leave the table.” On winter mornings, the author and his brother would clear the snow from the funeral parlor driveway. As Rossell grew older, he helped his father in his work and, in time, became a funeral director himself. The memoir opens with an examination of embalming, autopsies, and showing and restoring bodies. The author’s delivery is both laconic and frank: “A man died with his nose eaten away by cancer. There were just two holes where his nose had been, so I created a new nose for him.” This tone makes for an unflinchingly honest memoir that deals with such things as mortuary school, caskets, memorial services gone bad, lawsuits, thieves, and even seemingly paranormal happenings. What’s most striking is the funeral director’s proximity to everyday, small-town life. For instance, he reminisces about sitting in a bar with his brother and getting asked by a local man named Elwood about the difference between a regular funeral and a cremation. His brother’s wry response: “Elwood, about two thousand degrees.” However, the author is never glib about his profession. He uses humor at the right moments to make death bearable, but he always shows the utmost respect and support to those families that employ him. Rossell’s generosity and dedication make him a knowledgeable and likable narrator. This, in turn, transforms a potentially dark memoir into an approachable, enjoyable, and revealing read.
A candid, sensitive, and occasionally humorous account of life as a funeral director.Pub Date: Nov. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4575-5701-9
Page Count: 179
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
