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The Death Class: A True Story About Life
In this gripping true story, an extraordinary professor who teaches a popular course on death plunges deep into the off-campus hours of her most vulnerable students and shows them how to live.
Each year, Kean University in Union, New Jersey, offers an exclusive class called Death in Perspective. Led by Professor Norma Bowe, the objective of the class is to “develop an understanding of the nature and experiences of the stages of dying, death, and bereavement.” It has a three-year waiting list.
But as acclaimed journalist Erika Hayasaki discovers, by teaching mortality, Dr. Bowe is quietly rescuing students from tragedy. As she takes her students to cemeteries, prisons, morgues, and hospitals, she shows how the contemplation of the end can change an adult’s beginning. Over the course of two years, she intervenes with one student and her suicidal mother, mentors another with a mentally ill brother, and redeems a third from his life in a gang. And in the end, the students themselves heal Dr. Bowe herself from the lingering pain of a childhood she has long repressed.
On one level, The Death Class is about the loss of life; on another level, it’s a celebration of what the human spirit can conquer. It’s about how we can survive and learn to live a meaningful life.
Each year, Kean University in Union, New Jersey, offers an exclusive class called Death in Perspective. Led by Professor Norma Bowe, the objective of the class is to “develop an understanding of the nature and experiences of the stages of dying, death, and bereavement.” It has a three-year waiting list.
But as acclaimed journalist Erika Hayasaki discovers, by teaching mortality, Dr. Bowe is quietly rescuing students from tragedy. As she takes her students to cemeteries, prisons, morgues, and hospitals, she shows how the contemplation of the end can change an adult’s beginning. Over the course of two years, she intervenes with one student and her suicidal mother, mentors another with a mentally ill brother, and redeems a third from his life in a gang. And in the end, the students themselves heal Dr. Bowe herself from the lingering pain of a childhood she has long repressed.
On one level, The Death Class is about the loss of life; on another level, it’s a celebration of what the human spirit can conquer. It’s about how we can survive and learn to live a meaningful life.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
80 people are currently reading
3672 people want to read
About the author
Erika Hayasaki
5 books58 followersThe Death Class: A True Story About Life
COMING IN JANUARY 2014 FROM SIMON & SCHUSTER
When nurse and professor Norma Bowe decided to teach a course on death at a college in New Jersey, she never expected it to be popular. But year after year, students crowd into her classroom and the reason why is clear: Norma's "death class" is really about how to make the most of what poet Mary Oliver famously called our "one wild and precious life."
Under the guise of discussions about last wills and last breaths and visits to cemeteries and crematoriums, Norma teaches her students to find grace in one another.
By following her over three years, award-winning journalist Erika Hayasaki shows how Norma steers a group of extraordinary students from their tormented families and neighborhoods toward happiness: she rescues one young woman from her suicidal mother, helps a young man manage his schizophrenic brother, and inspires another to leave his gang life behind. Through this unorthodox class on death, Norma helps kids who are barely hanging on to understand not only the value of their own lives, but also the secret of fulfillment: to throw yourself into helping others.
Hayasaki's expert reporting and literary prose bring Norma's wisdom out of the classroom, transforming it into an inspiring lesson for all. In the end, Norma's very own life — and how she lives it — is the lecture that sticks.
Erika Hayasaki spent nine years as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times before becoming an assistant professor in the Literary Journalism program at the University of California, Irvine. She is a recipient of the Los Angeles Times Best Writing Award, the Association of Sunday Feature Editors Award, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors Breaking News Award. She had also been a two-time finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists.
COMING IN JANUARY 2014 FROM SIMON & SCHUSTER
When nurse and professor Norma Bowe decided to teach a course on death at a college in New Jersey, she never expected it to be popular. But year after year, students crowd into her classroom and the reason why is clear: Norma's "death class" is really about how to make the most of what poet Mary Oliver famously called our "one wild and precious life."
Under the guise of discussions about last wills and last breaths and visits to cemeteries and crematoriums, Norma teaches her students to find grace in one another.
By following her over three years, award-winning journalist Erika Hayasaki shows how Norma steers a group of extraordinary students from their tormented families and neighborhoods toward happiness: she rescues one young woman from her suicidal mother, helps a young man manage his schizophrenic brother, and inspires another to leave his gang life behind. Through this unorthodox class on death, Norma helps kids who are barely hanging on to understand not only the value of their own lives, but also the secret of fulfillment: to throw yourself into helping others.
Hayasaki's expert reporting and literary prose bring Norma's wisdom out of the classroom, transforming it into an inspiring lesson for all. In the end, Norma's very own life — and how she lives it — is the lecture that sticks.
Erika Hayasaki spent nine years as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times before becoming an assistant professor in the Literary Journalism program at the University of California, Irvine. She is a recipient of the Los Angeles Times Best Writing Award, the Association of Sunday Feature Editors Award, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors Breaking News Award. She had also been a two-time finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
December 22, 2014
When I started reading this book a few weeks ago, I had no idea the topic would be so timely. But then again, death is always timely, isn't it? "In the midst of life we are in death," and so on.
When I started reading this book, I was drawn to it from just a professorial standpoint. I teach an introductory sociology class and am interested in the sociology of death and dying. I thought I might learn something from Dr. Norma Bowe, who teaches a class called "Death in Perspective" at Kean University in New Jersey. The class is so popular that it has a three-year waiting list, and each semester, students show up at her office and beg to be enrolled.
When I started reading this book, I didn't think I would be so personally affected by the stories. Many students who enroll in Dr. Bowe's class have family issues they are trying to work through. One young woman, Caitlin, grew up with a drug-addicted mother who frequently tried to kill herself. Caitlin developed obsessive-compulsive disorder and struggled with intense anxiety and fear. Caitlin's boyfriend, Jonathan, had witnessed his mentally ill father kill his mother. Later, he learned his brother was also schizophrenic and suicidal. Another student, Israel, spent time in a gang and felt guilty about a friend he couldn't save. Even the author, Erika, who spent four years following Dr. Bowe and her students, shared her story about a friend who was killed by an enraged boyfriend. Dr. Bowe became a friend and mentor to many of the students, and often went out of her way to help everyone she met.
When I started reading this book, I didn't know I would find it so inspiring. To many students, the death class became a form of therapy and helped them move on from their grief. They learned to focus on making the most of the life they had, and many became involved in charity work to help others. Some students formed a group called Be the Change, based on the Gandhi quote: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." The students collected and distributed food and blankets to the homeless, did renovation projects at halfway houses and even planted community gardens in rough neighborhoods. Jonathan was inspired to help other families suffering from mental illness, and hopes to find new ways to treat them.
When I started reading this book, my kind, generous, lovely and gracious mother-in-law could still speak and recognize her family. She could still move all of her limbs and was able to live at home. Several days ago, she suffered a severe, debilitating stroke and is now in a hospice center. Suddenly, this book about death became very real. I wasn't sure I could finish reading it during such a difficult time, but I'm glad I pushed through. The key is not focusing on death, but focusing on life.
When I started reading this book, I was drawn to it from just a professorial standpoint. I teach an introductory sociology class and am interested in the sociology of death and dying. I thought I might learn something from Dr. Norma Bowe, who teaches a class called "Death in Perspective" at Kean University in New Jersey. The class is so popular that it has a three-year waiting list, and each semester, students show up at her office and beg to be enrolled.
When I started reading this book, I didn't think I would be so personally affected by the stories. Many students who enroll in Dr. Bowe's class have family issues they are trying to work through. One young woman, Caitlin, grew up with a drug-addicted mother who frequently tried to kill herself. Caitlin developed obsessive-compulsive disorder and struggled with intense anxiety and fear. Caitlin's boyfriend, Jonathan, had witnessed his mentally ill father kill his mother. Later, he learned his brother was also schizophrenic and suicidal. Another student, Israel, spent time in a gang and felt guilty about a friend he couldn't save. Even the author, Erika, who spent four years following Dr. Bowe and her students, shared her story about a friend who was killed by an enraged boyfriend. Dr. Bowe became a friend and mentor to many of the students, and often went out of her way to help everyone she met.
When I started reading this book, I didn't know I would find it so inspiring. To many students, the death class became a form of therapy and helped them move on from their grief. They learned to focus on making the most of the life they had, and many became involved in charity work to help others. Some students formed a group called Be the Change, based on the Gandhi quote: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." The students collected and distributed food and blankets to the homeless, did renovation projects at halfway houses and even planted community gardens in rough neighborhoods. Jonathan was inspired to help other families suffering from mental illness, and hopes to find new ways to treat them.
When I started reading this book, my kind, generous, lovely and gracious mother-in-law could still speak and recognize her family. She could still move all of her limbs and was able to live at home. Several days ago, she suffered a severe, debilitating stroke and is now in a hospice center. Suddenly, this book about death became very real. I wasn't sure I could finish reading it during such a difficult time, but I'm glad I pushed through. The key is not focusing on death, but focusing on life.
January 12, 2014
I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway. It wasn't what I expected and hoped it would be. Because it's called The Death Class, I was expecting and was fascinated with the idea of a college course that had a secular approach to death. What would that syllabus look like? How would it handle the scientific knowledge and gaps in that knowledge? How would the religious and spiritual aspects be handled?
While chapters did end with apparent essay assignments, the book is more accurately about the tragic childhoods of the course instructor and a number of students. It's about the suicides, addictions and mental health issues in the lives of the people associated with the course. And that's not a book I'd personally prefer to read.
The death class is a framework for telling the stories of the lives of some people who took the class. And the uplifting message I took away from the book is how these sensitive and damaged individuals learned that helping others can transform their own lives. Not a bad message at all, though it isn't what I expected and where I wanted a book called The Death Class to go.
While chapters did end with apparent essay assignments, the book is more accurately about the tragic childhoods of the course instructor and a number of students. It's about the suicides, addictions and mental health issues in the lives of the people associated with the course. And that's not a book I'd personally prefer to read.
The death class is a framework for telling the stories of the lives of some people who took the class. And the uplifting message I took away from the book is how these sensitive and damaged individuals learned that helping others can transform their own lives. Not a bad message at all, though it isn't what I expected and where I wanted a book called The Death Class to go.
January 19, 2024
The reader may assume that the title refers to the actual "death class" taught by Norma Bowe, who is a central figure in this narrative.
However, the real meaning of the title is a metaphoric application of the concept that death teaches us about life — that the awareness and impact of death serves as a masterclass for life.
The book follows the personal stories of a number of people (including the author herself) and only tangentially touches on topics covered in the actual college course (such as organ harvesting, capital punishment, funeral homes, etc.)
The topic is a worthy one, but the author's approach felt a little unfocussed, and towards the end wandered off and fizzled out. However, I appreciate the challenge of trying to write about all these powerful concepts in a way that will engage the reader, and not become too abstract. Also — the way the book is centred on the students reflects the type of students who are drawn to a college-level course on death; mostly those who have survived a great deal of trauma and are still processing.
However, the real meaning of the title is a metaphoric application of the concept that death teaches us about life — that the awareness and impact of death serves as a masterclass for life.
The book follows the personal stories of a number of people (including the author herself) and only tangentially touches on topics covered in the actual college course (such as organ harvesting, capital punishment, funeral homes, etc.)
The topic is a worthy one, but the author's approach felt a little unfocussed, and towards the end wandered off and fizzled out. However, I appreciate the challenge of trying to write about all these powerful concepts in a way that will engage the reader, and not become too abstract. Also — the way the book is centred on the students reflects the type of students who are drawn to a college-level course on death; mostly those who have survived a great deal of trauma and are still processing.
January 11, 2015
Oh I so wanted to give this book more stars, I wanted to like it more, I was so excited to start reading it, and the beginning of the book was exactly what I was hoping for, it was an insight to the class, a glimpse into a college course about death.
Somewhere through the middle, it started being about some of the students and about Norma (professor) outside of the classroom, and if this were a memoir about Norma that I intended to read it was right about there...but I wanted to know more about the class...and so I wasn't completely fulfilled. Don't get me wrong, there's good stuff in here, deep stuff, toward the end, I had the chills more than once...and the assignments at the end of each chapter made it worth it for me...but it also made me want more of the classroom experience.
Somewhere through the middle, it started being about some of the students and about Norma (professor) outside of the classroom, and if this were a memoir about Norma that I intended to read it was right about there...but I wanted to know more about the class...and so I wasn't completely fulfilled. Don't get me wrong, there's good stuff in here, deep stuff, toward the end, I had the chills more than once...and the assignments at the end of each chapter made it worth it for me...but it also made me want more of the classroom experience.
January 9, 2014
Students wait on a 3 year list to get into a popular professor's Death Class at Kean University in New Jersey. Many are looking to process a death in their past, or an obsession or fear of death. They get a little bit on death, a little bit of mothering, and a little bit of self-exploration in what sounds like a fantastic, experiential course. With a death in her own past to process, Hayasaki shadows Dr. Norma Bowe for a couple of years. The reader joins the classes on visits to prison, a mortuary, a crematorium, a cemetery, a hospice, and a homeless shelter, as well as Dr. Bowe's informal one-on-one counseling with some of her students.
This is not an intellectual book, and it's not really about death. You won't come out of reading it with the peace (maybe?) the students come out of the class with, nor with a philosophical education, though there is an attempt to weave Erik Erikson's theories into the narrative. It's more about Dr. Bowe and some of her more spectacularly damaged students. But it manipulates the emotions in a pleasant way, along the lines of a Chicken Soup for the Soul, which makes it an enjoyable enough read if you like that sort of thing. I appreciate a good dramatic catharsis from time to time, so it works for me.
Note: I received this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway. So exciting to win one!
This is not an intellectual book, and it's not really about death. You won't come out of reading it with the peace (maybe?) the students come out of the class with, nor with a philosophical education, though there is an attempt to weave Erik Erikson's theories into the narrative. It's more about Dr. Bowe and some of her more spectacularly damaged students. But it manipulates the emotions in a pleasant way, along the lines of a Chicken Soup for the Soul, which makes it an enjoyable enough read if you like that sort of thing. I appreciate a good dramatic catharsis from time to time, so it works for me.
Note: I received this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway. So exciting to win one!
April 24, 2014
The book's title does not indicate the contents. I teach a college class called Death & Dying, and I was looking forward to reading about another teacher's approach to the material. This book, however, is not about the class: it's about the charismatic teacher, Dr. Norma Bowe, and how she rescues students from the dysfunction of their lives.
Yes, this is an interesting and engaging topic, but it's not the book I wanted to read. Also, the author inserts Erik Erikson's theory of stage development for the human life span. But this is done in a forced and awkward way without gleaning much insight.
I do admire Norma Stowe, but I don't admire the author's writing. I ended skimming the second half of the book. And there is no way this would work as an option for my class's "book report" on death and dying. It would work better for a class on addiction, criminal activity or mood disorders.
Yes, this is an interesting and engaging topic, but it's not the book I wanted to read. Also, the author inserts Erik Erikson's theory of stage development for the human life span. But this is done in a forced and awkward way without gleaning much insight.
I do admire Norma Stowe, but I don't admire the author's writing. I ended skimming the second half of the book. And there is no way this would work as an option for my class's "book report" on death and dying. It would work better for a class on addiction, criminal activity or mood disorders.
January 15, 2014
This was one of the few books I've read in my lifetime that I couldn't put down.
This book inspired me, made me laugh, cry, and ultimately challenged me to reflect on my life.
It challenged me to be better, to turn negatives into positives and more than anything it showed me I'm not alone.
The fact that the author spent 4 years interviewing the characters in the book and spent so much on the little details really made you feel like you were there as she tells the stories.
I believe this book will be around for a long time. I bought a few copies for friends and family. It's that good!
This book inspired me, made me laugh, cry, and ultimately challenged me to reflect on my life.
It challenged me to be better, to turn negatives into positives and more than anything it showed me I'm not alone.
The fact that the author spent 4 years interviewing the characters in the book and spent so much on the little details really made you feel like you were there as she tells the stories.
I believe this book will be around for a long time. I bought a few copies for friends and family. It's that good!
January 6, 2014
I won this wonderful book from Goodreads. This book was both so much more and so much less than I expected. It was so much more of an engaging, entertaining and enjoyable book than I expected and so much less of a textbook about death. My response when I finshed this book was...WOW! I am not easily impressed by a nonfiction book but this book definitely impressed me!
This book does revolve around a college death class and does discuss theories of life and death, then it goes so much farther. The professor of the class used Erickson's stages of development to explain growth and stagnation in the lives of her students. Instead of being clinical this book tells the real life stories and struggles of students with difficult backgrounds. Some of her students are struggling with abuses within their family, some are struggling with mental illnesses in the family and all are looking for answers and a way to move on. The Death Class provides a framework for students to safely navigate through the struggles.
Field trips in the Death Class take students to varied locations designed to challenge and stretch the students to greater growth. They travel to a prison to learn about consequences of making wrong choices in response to difficult backgrounds such as abuse. They also travel to a funeral home to learn about end of life choices. Throughout the class they are challenged to confront the very things that scare many people about death. They write a good-bye letter, they plan their funeral or cremation, they write about regrets and reactions to their field trips.
The students also look at choices they can make to move forward and improve their own life and the lives of others. They write their own bucket list and learn to begin doing those things they truly desire. They form a Be the Change group and reach out to the community to help improve the world they live in, one way they helped was by taking food and blankets to the homeless.
This book was easy to read and understand and also truly taught many lessons. This is a book I will no doubt read again many times. This author is very gifted and I look forward to reading many more books from her!
My only suggestion is to improve the cover. I was looking forward to reading this book when I entered the giveaway, the description of the book drew me in and made me want to read it. When I recieved my copy I did not remember what it was about, and I looked at the cover and thought it looked very boring, like a textbook. So I put this back to read later. When I did finally pick it up I was very surprised to find this awesome book. Truly a case of don't judge a book by it's cover, but since the goal is to sell books and get it read this cover needs to be redone to encourage others to open this fantastic book.
This book does revolve around a college death class and does discuss theories of life and death, then it goes so much farther. The professor of the class used Erickson's stages of development to explain growth and stagnation in the lives of her students. Instead of being clinical this book tells the real life stories and struggles of students with difficult backgrounds. Some of her students are struggling with abuses within their family, some are struggling with mental illnesses in the family and all are looking for answers and a way to move on. The Death Class provides a framework for students to safely navigate through the struggles.
Field trips in the Death Class take students to varied locations designed to challenge and stretch the students to greater growth. They travel to a prison to learn about consequences of making wrong choices in response to difficult backgrounds such as abuse. They also travel to a funeral home to learn about end of life choices. Throughout the class they are challenged to confront the very things that scare many people about death. They write a good-bye letter, they plan their funeral or cremation, they write about regrets and reactions to their field trips.
The students also look at choices they can make to move forward and improve their own life and the lives of others. They write their own bucket list and learn to begin doing those things they truly desire. They form a Be the Change group and reach out to the community to help improve the world they live in, one way they helped was by taking food and blankets to the homeless.
This book was easy to read and understand and also truly taught many lessons. This is a book I will no doubt read again many times. This author is very gifted and I look forward to reading many more books from her!
My only suggestion is to improve the cover. I was looking forward to reading this book when I entered the giveaway, the description of the book drew me in and made me want to read it. When I recieved my copy I did not remember what it was about, and I looked at the cover and thought it looked very boring, like a textbook. So I put this back to read later. When I did finally pick it up I was very surprised to find this awesome book. Truly a case of don't judge a book by it's cover, but since the goal is to sell books and get it read this cover needs to be redone to encourage others to open this fantastic book.
June 4, 2014
This book is narrative nonfiction, a journalistic account, about the Death Class instructor, Norma Bowe, and several of her students who have overcome enormously challenging life circumstances, especially those arising from horrific families of origin. It does not explore death in any way, academic, philosophical or other. It does not reveal much at all about the Death Class, its structure, its syllabus, or its theoretical underpinnings. The only theorist mentioned, in fact, is Erik Erikson, a perplexing choice in view of the plethora of scholars of thanatology.
Should you be interested in the death class itself, just note the field trips (prison, funeral home, hospice care center, mental hospital, morgue) and some of the take home questions (i.e., "If you had a year left to live, what would you want to do before you died. Compile your bucket list") that appear at the end of some of the chapters.
Not a recommended purchase.
Should you be interested in the death class itself, just note the field trips (prison, funeral home, hospice care center, mental hospital, morgue) and some of the take home questions (i.e., "If you had a year left to live, what would you want to do before you died. Compile your bucket list") that appear at the end of some of the chapters.
Not a recommended purchase.
January 14, 2014
I was really interested in the description of this book, but the description didn't match the content. I hoped to learn about Dr. Bowe's class and how her students incorporated the lessons into their own lives when dealing with death and grief. Instead, I learned a little bit about the class and a LOT about how the class helped Dr. Bowe to connect with some very troubled students dealing with violent pasts, abandonment, addiction, and serious mental disorders. The journalistic style didn't help me to really connect with any of the students and I felt the narrative was inconsistent. I was most connected when the author shared one of her own experiences with tragic death.
April 23, 2019
This is a very emotional read, and I do warn everyone, you will cry, you will think, and you will possibly be a nervous wreck. I believe that this a significant text to read and to have because it does touch on many issues of death and Dying, and emotion, along with sadness how even the most influential person among us can be dealing with the empowering feelings of grief, death, and illness. That we should take every day with a grain of salt, and thank our lucky stars of each day that comes. How so many people in everyday situations face death and illness, and how many are fortunate to have a person like Norma within there lives to help them understand all the emotions and hurt they are feeling. I highly recommend reading this book, I learned so much about the subjects, but I did cry every time I picked the book up.
January 9, 2021
First third was PHENOMENAL and then the narrative structure got hella disorganized and a bit repetitive, which was incredibly disappointing.
January 17, 2014
Bought and read in under 24 hours. This book just reassured me how blessed I am, and how blessed we all are. It makes you realize how unbelievably amazing it is to be alive. Pain and struggle are inevitable, but it's what you do with that pain that makes life worth living. Take the bad and turn it into something wonderful.
For those who have not read this book, I strongly encourage you to do so. It puts into words a lot of things we are often too afraid to say out loud. The people in the book are too inspirational for words, and each of their stories touched my heart immensely. It is a privilege to say I know a couple of them personally.
"The Death Class: A True Story About Life" is more about life than death, and in many reviews and interviews with students, that is what will be said. Even if you didn't take the class, the book is a small insight into the crazy, weird, and spectacular world of Dr. Norma Bowe and her students. I was fortunate enough to be in her class, and as well as her life. The class taught me more about myself than I could have ever hoped for and the lessons taught go beyond the class. They stay with you everyday if you let them.
Read the book, and allow yourself to be open minded when it comes to Death and education about death. When you learn to let go, you learn to live.
For those who have not read this book, I strongly encourage you to do so. It puts into words a lot of things we are often too afraid to say out loud. The people in the book are too inspirational for words, and each of their stories touched my heart immensely. It is a privilege to say I know a couple of them personally.
"The Death Class: A True Story About Life" is more about life than death, and in many reviews and interviews with students, that is what will be said. Even if you didn't take the class, the book is a small insight into the crazy, weird, and spectacular world of Dr. Norma Bowe and her students. I was fortunate enough to be in her class, and as well as her life. The class taught me more about myself than I could have ever hoped for and the lessons taught go beyond the class. They stay with you everyday if you let them.
Read the book, and allow yourself to be open minded when it comes to Death and education about death. When you learn to let go, you learn to live.
January 27, 2014
This book was quite different from what I expected, but was really riveting. I couldn't put it down. As others have said, it was more a book about living life to its fullest, even overcoming insurmountable odds, rather than a book about death. It will make you want to appreciate and use wisely every minute you have been given. The author, a journalist, profiles a nursing professor, Dr. Norma Bowe, and her popular "Death in Perspective" class. The class goes on field trips to prisons, hospice centers, nursing homes, and a morgue (to view an autopsy). The physical precursors to death are detailed. Each chapter ends with one of the probing writing assignments the students must complete. Through it all, the author introduces some of Dr. Bowe's students who have had shocking, horrific life experiences and whom Dr. Bowe shepherds not only through the class but through coming to an acceptance of what life has given them. She uses Erikson's stage theory of human development (which is included in an appendix) to illustrate how her students must work through each level. I must say, after reading the stories of some of these people, Dr. Bowe included, I was very thankful for my family and the relative calm of my life. I think this is a book I will not soon forget.
July 19, 2019
RATING: 3 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)
(Susan's pick)
I went into this book thinking that it was written by the woman who actually taught the Death Class, but it was a journalist (who had to take the course to follow Norma Bowe around for her story). Once I adjusted to that I started to get into the book. This is an easy read despite the subject matter and it kept me reading till I finished. My major issue with the book was the disjointed and unfinished feeling. There was not a really good flow with the story. Also, it felt like two different writers wrote it. At times it is realistic and well-written, but other times it seems like it is written with the emotions (over dramatic) of a teenager. Hayasaki added the course outline but never really delved into - she added her own thoughts but then would scale back - she didn't seem to know if she should be in the story. It's just very scattered, and I wasn't sure about how she characterized each person. I liked the book, but I don't think I will read anything further by the author.
(Review Not on Blog)
(Susan's pick)
I went into this book thinking that it was written by the woman who actually taught the Death Class, but it was a journalist (who had to take the course to follow Norma Bowe around for her story). Once I adjusted to that I started to get into the book. This is an easy read despite the subject matter and it kept me reading till I finished. My major issue with the book was the disjointed and unfinished feeling. There was not a really good flow with the story. Also, it felt like two different writers wrote it. At times it is realistic and well-written, but other times it seems like it is written with the emotions (over dramatic) of a teenager. Hayasaki added the course outline but never really delved into - she added her own thoughts but then would scale back - she didn't seem to know if she should be in the story. It's just very scattered, and I wasn't sure about how she characterized each person. I liked the book, but I don't think I will read anything further by the author.
February 6, 2014
Dr. Norma Bowe is a college professor at Kean University. Her class "Death in Perspective has a three year waiting list and is described in the university catalog as college as "The past, present and future individual and societal concepts of dying, death and bereavement, death education, and exploration of related ethical issues. A field trip is required." This book is the intensely personal journey of some of the students through the class and a testament to survival and life.
Read my full review at: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com...
Read my full review at: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com...
February 17, 2014
The book was not what I expected based on the title and description. I kept reading hoping there was some lesson or perspective on death that would be drawn from the class but it never came. The book was a little disjointed to me and read more like a psychology case study than an examination of death.
August 21, 2016
I was expecting a lot more information on what is actually taught in the class, and on death in general. Instead, it was a lot of stories about the professor and students in the class - and their personal connections with death (or general horribleness in life).
December 6, 2022
Read this book for my bookclub and it was not for me. The author's word choices when describing the appearance of the people she met struck me as a bit odd. Lastly, even though many people have found comfort in this book after experiencing a loss, I found it hard to get through, especially the first several chapters.
September 15, 2022
Very different from what I was expecting, but I'm glad I was reading it this week.
Also, if I could eradicate a single disease from the earth? I'd choose covid, hands down. In fact, I'd love to see a new edition of this book dealing with covid.
Also, if I could eradicate a single disease from the earth? I'd choose covid, hands down. In fact, I'd love to see a new edition of this book dealing with covid.
September 6, 2024
ok i guess
January 13, 2016
Norma Bowe, a nurse (and PhD-holder, among other things), teaches a class on death at Kean University—death, and then quite a lot about life. It's one of the university's most popular courses, and perhaps one of the most emotionally challenging. The Death Class isn't written by Bowe, though: Hayasaki is a reporter who spent several years shadowing Bowe, including sitting in on the course and completing the assignments.
That's the fact I kept returning to as I read The Death Class: what a different book it was than it would have been if written by Bowe. That's not a criticism—I don't know what Bowe would have done with the topic, have no way of knowing if I'd find her worth reading as a writer, etc.—but it was noticeable. Hayasaki focuses less on the material that Bowe covers, choosing instead to spend a considerable amount of page space on a few of Bowe's students, ones with particularly compelling (I hesitate to say 'particularly grisly') stories. It's an engrossing read, sometimes a rather depressing one. I did wish for more details of Bowe's class. The students take a lot of field trips, for example (to cemeteries, morgues, prisons, etc.), and while we see some of those visits, I wanted to better understand the purpose. Is the goal demystification? Normalising of death? Group therapy? Something to do with the sanctity of human life? All or none of the above?
Hayasaki must have come away from her research with so much material, and I struggle to imagine even beginning to puzzle out how to fit all the pieces together. This works for me—but I remain curious about what the same material might look like from Bowe's perspective.
That's the fact I kept returning to as I read The Death Class: what a different book it was than it would have been if written by Bowe. That's not a criticism—I don't know what Bowe would have done with the topic, have no way of knowing if I'd find her worth reading as a writer, etc.—but it was noticeable. Hayasaki focuses less on the material that Bowe covers, choosing instead to spend a considerable amount of page space on a few of Bowe's students, ones with particularly compelling (I hesitate to say 'particularly grisly') stories. It's an engrossing read, sometimes a rather depressing one. I did wish for more details of Bowe's class. The students take a lot of field trips, for example (to cemeteries, morgues, prisons, etc.), and while we see some of those visits, I wanted to better understand the purpose. Is the goal demystification? Normalising of death? Group therapy? Something to do with the sanctity of human life? All or none of the above?
Hayasaki must have come away from her research with so much material, and I struggle to imagine even beginning to puzzle out how to fit all the pieces together. This works for me—but I remain curious about what the same material might look like from Bowe's perspective.
January 15, 2016
I've been looking forward to reading this book for a long time, and after a student read it last semester for a project, I decided I needed to finally get to it. While it wasn't exactly what I had been anticipating, it was a book I was glad I read. It focuses on a professor/nurse named Norma who teaches a course at Keane University called Death in Perspective. The author is a former NY Times journalist who in the course of her career has covered several mass shootings, including Virginia Tech. Hayasaki follows Norma for almost three years and attends her widely popular class, witnessing the impact this course and Norma have on various students. Since Hayasaki has her own psychological struggles dealing with death, reading about her experiences with Norma almost seem like they are the same as any other student, which adds an interesting dimension. While Hayasaki does include some information about the course itself, I would have liked more. While I found Norma an inspiring person, and the stories about selected students interesting, overall I was left wanting to know more about how the course itself runs- but that might just be the educator in me!
February 2, 2014
I was able to relate to this book for many reasons. I'm a journalist working on a narrative nonfiction idea and wanted to see Hayasaki's take. I've also been interested in topics like death since my sister died. She had a mental illness, which is a common struggle that's discussed at great length.
The class that inspired the book is fascinating, and by focusing on the professor and a handful of students for four years, Hayasaki brings us along on her journey.
I wish she had written more about the class, like how Norma grades her subjective assignments, how the class impacts students as a whole, and whether Norma's views changed at all after her close brush with death. At the end of the March 2009 chapter, Norma's December 2009 accident is mentioned. The next chapter picks up in April 2009 and gradually leads up to the accident. I was confused and frustrated with the time jump.
If not for my few nitpicks, I would have given this a 5.
The class that inspired the book is fascinating, and by focusing on the professor and a handful of students for four years, Hayasaki brings us along on her journey.
I wish she had written more about the class, like how Norma grades her subjective assignments, how the class impacts students as a whole, and whether Norma's views changed at all after her close brush with death. At the end of the March 2009 chapter, Norma's December 2009 accident is mentioned. The next chapter picks up in April 2009 and gradually leads up to the accident. I was confused and frustrated with the time jump.
If not for my few nitpicks, I would have given this a 5.
February 20, 2014
My problem wasn't the writing, which was fine -- it was this lauded "death class" teacher. A billion years ago I took a college class called Death and Dying and it was both enlightening and tough. I was hoping to read about a more modern take on the subject. When I found out that she assigns "Tuesdays with Maury" --which *might* be suitable for a freshman in high school -- I knew I wasn't going to be simpatico with her. The class turned out to be more like group therapy than a learning experience: it seems like a cult of personality, with Dr. Bowe actively seeking students with personal "issues" so she can rescue them. Ick.
March 28, 2014
This wasn't what I expected based on the title and news article I read. I expected the book to be more about the lessons in the class, things covered in the syllabus and covered by class. Instead, it focused more on the traumatic biographies of the professor and some of her students, and charitable work they've done. Class assignments are randomly tossed in after each chapter. The only real classroom style learning was an early chapter on the physical process of dying and bits about Erik Erikson's theories sprinkled throughout the chapters. All in all, it really is a scattered read. It has a good message, though.
April 23, 2014
This is one of those books that you can't put down, and when you finish it, you just immediately want to go back and read it again. It wasn't what I expected--which I see is the reaction of many reviewers. But it is one of those books that can rock your world and set you on a totally different path. It goes in many directions, but since it is following the professor who teaches the Death Class, that's natural. It reads pretty smoothly nonetheless, and it will have you thinking about life, death, how to live, how to die, and how to interact with the world around you.
I'd say that's pretty good for one book! Read this book for the key to dying happily. :-)
I'd say that's pretty good for one book! Read this book for the key to dying happily. :-)
February 24, 2014
The Death Class--A True Story About Life by Erika Hayasaki tells about an actual class called "The Death Class" taught by Norma Bowe. The author of this book took the class for four years and there is a three-year waiting list to get into it. The author tells the true stories of four of the students which are fantastic! This is a real page turner for sure. Norma is an excellent teacher who goes above and beyond for her students. Erika tells the stories very well. Put this on your TBR list--it's worth it!
(Gerard's review)
(Gerard's review)
October 17, 2014
I really liked this book. The journalist follows a nursing professor as she teaches her class about death. But the book is really not at all about death and more about life and finding meaning through its struggles, a message I think is so important. The journalist/ author goes beyond the class and also delves into the life of the nursing professor, which adds an interesting element. There were a few areas of the book that I thought were somewhat disjointed but in general it really held my interest and was an interesting angle to explore.
March 17, 2015
I wanted to like this book. I sure loved Norma Bowe and her death class, and I definitely felt deeply for the folks profiled throughout this narrative. But the author seems to deeply believe that people with mental health issues are either going to murder someone or kill themselves, and I just can't hang with that. It spoiled the book for me. I also struggled with how much the author sensationalized death. I was under the impression that this book set out to demystify and normalize death, as Norma's class does. But if that was the intent, this book failed. For me, at least.
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