Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral

by Todd Harra Narrated by T. Ryder Smith

Overview

The Untold Story of American Funeral and Mourning Traditions
Why do we embalm the deceased? Why are funerals so expensive? Is there a reason coffins are shaped the way they are? When-and why-did we start viewing the deceased?
Ceremonies for honoring the departed are crucial parts of our lives, but few people know where our traditional practices come from-and what they reveal about our history, culture, and beliefs about death.
In Last Rites, author Todd Harra takes you on a fascinating exploration of American customs around death, burial, and remembrance, including:
¿ Influences for American rituals-from medieval Europe, the Roman Empire, and ancient Egypt
¿ When mourning fell out of fashion-and how George Washington's passing brought it back
¿ Abraham Lincoln's landmark funeral and its widespread impact
¿ How technology, religion, media, and even grave robbers have shaped our traditions
¿ Unknown soldiers-how warfare influenced funeral and bereavement practices ... and vice versa
¿ The future of our death rites-mushroom suits, green burial, body donation, flameless cremation, home funerals, and more
The rich story of the American funeral is one of constant evolution. Whether you're planning a funeral service or are simply intrigued by the meaning behind American burial practices, Last Rites is an informative and compelling exploration of the history-and future-of the ceremonies we use to say farewell to those who have departed this world.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

For readers with a taste for the quirky or the macabre, Harra, a writer and funeral professional, explores the hows and whys of American funerals, including changing influences from religion, war, high-profile deaths, the ancient world, and more.” —Library Journal

“A treasure trove of morbid intrigue. Never has a work of nonfiction read more like a thriller novel. Leaving no gruesome detail unexplained, Last Rites is the way history books should always be written.” —Southern Calls, The Journal of the Funeral Profession

“For anyone who ever wonders why funerals are the way they are, this book weaves history and modern funeral rites in a way that compares historical norms with current funeral rituals. A must-read.” —Brian Waters, host of Undertaking: The Podcast

“To other histories of funeral customs in North America, we can add this richly researched and annotated text by Todd Harra, for whom funerals—both the idea of the things and the things themselves—are worthy of a life’s work and serious scrutiny. Humanity is never so manifest as when a human dies; what we do about mortality separates us from other species. Last Rites is for mortals and mortuary sorts, the reverend clergy, and reverential humanists. And Harra is the most reliable kind of witness: a practitioner, scholar, and storyteller.” —Thomas Lynch, author of The Depositions and Bone Rosary

Library Journal

06/01/2022

For readers with a taste for the quirky or the macabre, Harra, a writer and funeral professional, explores the hows and whys of American funerals, including changing influences from religion, war, high-profile deaths, the ancient world, and more. Rather than presenting these evolutions linearly, each chapter is dedicated to a topic, such as burial vaults and embalming, and relevantly bounces around time periods. This allows the casual reader to enjoy each chapter independently. There's plenty of trivia to be had along the way, including why it's called a living room, the difference between a casket and a coffin, and just why would someone want to put a live grenade in a grave? A chapter on newer funerary trends and thorough notes add to the work's usefulness, though it does lack a bibliography for further reading. VERDICT This is a swell companion piece for fans of Mary Roach's Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, but libraries should also consider it a source of serious information for those who may be facing difficult end-of-life decisions.—Jack Phoenix

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178690697
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	08/02/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

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