Death Studies, Volume 31, Issue 10 (2007-11). pp. 941-947.
Language:
English
Abstract:
Reviews the book, Remember me: A lively tour of the new American way of death by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (2006). In this book, the author investigates unusual American funereal and burial practices. This book is most successful when it details the 76-hour-long funeral of a Hmong family matriarch in St. Paul, Minnesota, and when the author describes attending the funeral of her own grandfather in Japan. In both of these cases, the author takes advantage of the actual and emotional space that a book affords her, spending time examining the psychological terrain of the families and explaining the context of their actions. It may be that for Cullen--a woman who started this book as an amusement and as a way to continue working with a newborn--the painful realities of life, and being human, descended with unexpected, shocking impact. Between the birth of her daughter, the death of her grandfather, and the cancer that suddenly seized her mother, all the goofy ways in which Americans handled dead people suddenly weren't just idle cocktail party fodder any more. A greater number of such reflections would have strengthened this book, but deeper contemplation may have been a luxury this author could not afford given the demands on her time and energy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)