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The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County
Armed with a Crock-Pot and a pile of recipes, a grandmother, her granddaughter, and a mysterious young man work to bring a community together in this uplifting novel for readers of The Chicken Sisters.
Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the "funeral ladies," she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed--it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can't fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days.
Iris, Esther's whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community. As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she's found the missing piece of her puzzle.
Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he's been looking for.
It doesn't seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used ingredient. But when you mix the can-do spirit of Midwestern grandmothers with the stubborn hope of a boy raised by food plus a dash of long-awaited forgiveness--things might just turn out okay.
Includes Recipes
Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the "funeral ladies," she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed--it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can't fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days.
Iris, Esther's whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community. As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she's found the missing piece of her puzzle.
Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he's been looking for.
It doesn't seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used ingredient. But when you mix the can-do spirit of Midwestern grandmothers with the stubborn hope of a boy raised by food plus a dash of long-awaited forgiveness--things might just turn out okay.
Includes Recipes
272 pages, ebook
First published March 12, 2024
498 people are currently reading
24137 people want to read
About the author
Claire Swinarski
9 books579 followersClaire Swinarski is the author of multiple books for both kids and adults. Her writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Seventeen, Milwaukee Magazine, and many other publications. She lives in small town Wisconsin with her husband and three kids, where she writes books, wears babies, and wrangles bread dough. You can follow her on Instagram @claireswinarski.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,181 reviews
March 11, 2025
EXCERPT: Whenever someone in Ellerie County died, their funeral was held at St Anne's if they were Catholic or Trinity Church if they weren't. Esther and Katherine Rose were the longest standing members of the funeral committee at St. Anne's. Every week, they provided luncheons for the bereaved in the church basement. Photos were passed, stories were told, and casseroles were consumed. The funeral ladies showed up with platters of peanut butter bars and steaming bowls of shredded beef, knowing they couldn't fix broken hearts but might as well feed them. The long cafeteria-style tables would fill with cousins and neighbors, all squirting ketchup into buns and talking about old times. A funeral was basically a family reunion, when you really thought about it, and family tensions are always soothed with decent meal. It was the funeral ladies' job to make sure the mourners had enough to eat. The last thing you needed to worry about after a funeral was where the nearest drive-through was.
ABOUT 'THE FUNERAL LADIES OF ELLERIE COUNTY': Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the “funeral ladies,” she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed—it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can’t fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days. Iris, Esther’s whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community.
As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she’s found the missing piece of her puzzle. Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he’s been looking for.
It doesn’t seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used.
MY THOUGHTS: The whole time I was reading The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County, I felt like I was being wrapped in a warm hug. I wanted to be a part of Esther's family. I wanted to move to Ellerie and be a part of their community.
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County is a story about family and friendship, both in their truest sense. When Esther is conned out of her life savings, her family, friends, and the whole community rally around to support her. For someone who is first in line to help out someone else, Esther sure finds it hard to accept help.
Merging with Esther's story is one of a family come to town for a funeral. A celebrity dad, a son suffering from PTSD, and a daughter with no anchor now her mom is gone, become entangled with Esther's family when there is a mix-up over their accommodation, and they find they have nowhere to stay.
This is a beautiful and beautifully written story. It is heartwarming and thought-provoking. I laughed and I cried. I loved the characters, warts and all. I loved the small-town vibes, the sense of community. I loved the 'family comes first' ethos, and the sheer joy of the characters and this story. It is tragic and sad in parts, but there is always hope, always a little light at the end of the tunnel.
I was more than a little sad to close the cover on The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County, but I am loving all the warm fuzzies it has left me feeling.
P.S. - the recipe for Esther's famous pie crust is included.
#TheFuneralLadiesof EllerieCounty @WaitomoDistrictLibrary
MEET THE AUTHOR: Claire Swinarski lives in small town Wisconsin with her husband and three kids, where she writes books, wears babies, and wrangles bread dough.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT 'THE FUNERAL LADIES OF ELLERIE COUNTY': Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the “funeral ladies,” she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed—it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can’t fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days. Iris, Esther’s whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community.
As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she’s found the missing piece of her puzzle. Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he’s been looking for.
It doesn’t seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used.
MY THOUGHTS: The whole time I was reading The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County, I felt like I was being wrapped in a warm hug. I wanted to be a part of Esther's family. I wanted to move to Ellerie and be a part of their community.
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County is a story about family and friendship, both in their truest sense. When Esther is conned out of her life savings, her family, friends, and the whole community rally around to support her. For someone who is first in line to help out someone else, Esther sure finds it hard to accept help.
Merging with Esther's story is one of a family come to town for a funeral. A celebrity dad, a son suffering from PTSD, and a daughter with no anchor now her mom is gone, become entangled with Esther's family when there is a mix-up over their accommodation, and they find they have nowhere to stay.
This is a beautiful and beautifully written story. It is heartwarming and thought-provoking. I laughed and I cried. I loved the characters, warts and all. I loved the small-town vibes, the sense of community. I loved the 'family comes first' ethos, and the sheer joy of the characters and this story. It is tragic and sad in parts, but there is always hope, always a little light at the end of the tunnel.
I was more than a little sad to close the cover on The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County, but I am loving all the warm fuzzies it has left me feeling.
P.S. - the recipe for Esther's famous pie crust is included.
#TheFuneralLadiesof EllerieCounty @WaitomoDistrictLibrary
MEET THE AUTHOR: Claire Swinarski lives in small town Wisconsin with her husband and three kids, where she writes books, wears babies, and wrangles bread dough.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
March 21, 2024
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski was a book that was both endearing and heartwarming. Claire Swinarski was a new author for me. This was the first book that I had read of hers but it will not be the last. Reading The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County brought back memories of a fundraising project I headed a long time ago. Years ago, when my own children were attending a Public Elementary school, I helped create a cookbook as a fundraising event. It featured lots of favorite and handed down recipes from the parents and teachers of the children who attended the school. As a fundraising project, it was a great success but even more important, I still find myself reaching for this particular cookbook when I want to make something special. It touched my heart, how these older women selflessly always came together, cooked and provided comfort to the grieving families of their church that were mourning for loved ones. This generation of ladies from Ellerie County had been cooking for funerals for the last fifty years and before that their mothers and grandmothers had done the same. Ellerie County was located in the Northwoods of Wisconsin where beautiful lakes and forests graced the land. The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was the story of three generations of strong, supportive and caring women that made up the Larson family.
Esther Larson was the matriarch of the Larson Family. She was a caring and involved mother, grandmother and member of the community and church. Esther had recently lost her husband and even though her daughter Fran and granddaughters Iris and Olivia and next door neighbor Katherine Rose were there for her, Esther craved for someone to talk to that respected her as the intelligent woman she was. She found that person on Twitter. Esther’s twitter friend’s name was Hazel. She was a twenty-six year old single mother. Esther and Hazel had been talking for several months before Esther was lured by Hazel’s cry for help. Hazel claimed that she didn’t have enough money to even purchase a bassinet for her baby, not to mention the insurmountable medical bills she was required to pay. Esther realized that Hazel didn’t have a support system like her granddaughters had. In Esther’s eyes, she was the only person that Hazel could count on to help her. Without hesitation, Esther sent Hazel thirty thousand dollars, her whole life savings. Hazel promised to repay Esther as soon as she began working again but right after Esther sent the money to Hazel, Hazel started ghosting Esther. What had Esther done? As soon as her family found out what Esther had done, they were astonished at how gullible Esther had been. The worst part was that there was a real possibility that Esther could loose her beloved house. How would the members of Esther’s family, her best friends from the Funeral Ladies group and the entire community of Ellerie County come together to rescue Esther and help her hold on to her home?
While all this was going on, a family arrived for a funeral that had not been living in Ellerie County. The deceased, Annabelle Welsh, had grown up in Ellerie County and had always spoken fondly of it to her children. Annabelle had been a victim of a tragic car accident and had died instantly. Both of her children, her stepson Cooper and her daughter Cricket insisted on honoring their mother’s wishes. Annabelle had always expressed the desire to buried in Ellerie County to her children. Years before, Annabelle had been married to the famous celebrity chef, Ivan Welsh. Ivan was wealthy, had written several cookbooks and was a cooking channel star but he had been a terrible husband to Annabelle and an absent father to both Cooper and Cricket. When Annabelle died, Cooper, Cricket’s older brother by many years, promised to become Cricket’s legal guardian. There was no way that Cooper would allow Cricket to live with Ivan. After the funeral, the Welsh family discovered that their reservation at the local lodgings was not being honored. Esther had told Cooper to call her if he or his family needed anything. Well, they needed a place to stay. Luckily for the Welsh family, Iris, Esther’s youngest granddaughter, had been renovating a house that she planned to rent as a Airbnb named Redstone. According to Iris, her Airbnb was not finished or ready for occupancy but her grandmother convinced her to let the Welsh family stay there. Just what Iris needed! Her first occupants included a famous chef movie star. Cooper Welsh was the one who made the biggest impression on Iris, though. Little did Iris understand at the time, though, that Cooper had witnessed a shooting while he was working as a paramedic. It had left a lasting impact upon his life, career and his relationship with others. Would Cooper get the help he so desperately needed? Did Iris and Copper have a chance at a future together with Cooper’s troubled life?
I finished reading The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski in two days. It was hard to pull myself away from it. I enjoyed the characters so much. They seemed like old friends. The descriptions of the landscape was breathtaking from the glistening lakes to the beautiful forests and charming homes and local stores. The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County touched on many topics including the importance of family, the love for the place you grew up in, friendships, PTSD, alcoholism, a true sense of community, death, grief, loss, family dysfunction, the impact of having an absent father, cancer, preying on the elderly through fraud and romance. I love how the people of this small tight knit community came together to rescue and help a long time resident. The love that went into all the aspects of the Church Cookbook was so inspiring. I really enjoyed reading The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski that I won in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Esther Larson was the matriarch of the Larson Family. She was a caring and involved mother, grandmother and member of the community and church. Esther had recently lost her husband and even though her daughter Fran and granddaughters Iris and Olivia and next door neighbor Katherine Rose were there for her, Esther craved for someone to talk to that respected her as the intelligent woman she was. She found that person on Twitter. Esther’s twitter friend’s name was Hazel. She was a twenty-six year old single mother. Esther and Hazel had been talking for several months before Esther was lured by Hazel’s cry for help. Hazel claimed that she didn’t have enough money to even purchase a bassinet for her baby, not to mention the insurmountable medical bills she was required to pay. Esther realized that Hazel didn’t have a support system like her granddaughters had. In Esther’s eyes, she was the only person that Hazel could count on to help her. Without hesitation, Esther sent Hazel thirty thousand dollars, her whole life savings. Hazel promised to repay Esther as soon as she began working again but right after Esther sent the money to Hazel, Hazel started ghosting Esther. What had Esther done? As soon as her family found out what Esther had done, they were astonished at how gullible Esther had been. The worst part was that there was a real possibility that Esther could loose her beloved house. How would the members of Esther’s family, her best friends from the Funeral Ladies group and the entire community of Ellerie County come together to rescue Esther and help her hold on to her home?
While all this was going on, a family arrived for a funeral that had not been living in Ellerie County. The deceased, Annabelle Welsh, had grown up in Ellerie County and had always spoken fondly of it to her children. Annabelle had been a victim of a tragic car accident and had died instantly. Both of her children, her stepson Cooper and her daughter Cricket insisted on honoring their mother’s wishes. Annabelle had always expressed the desire to buried in Ellerie County to her children. Years before, Annabelle had been married to the famous celebrity chef, Ivan Welsh. Ivan was wealthy, had written several cookbooks and was a cooking channel star but he had been a terrible husband to Annabelle and an absent father to both Cooper and Cricket. When Annabelle died, Cooper, Cricket’s older brother by many years, promised to become Cricket’s legal guardian. There was no way that Cooper would allow Cricket to live with Ivan. After the funeral, the Welsh family discovered that their reservation at the local lodgings was not being honored. Esther had told Cooper to call her if he or his family needed anything. Well, they needed a place to stay. Luckily for the Welsh family, Iris, Esther’s youngest granddaughter, had been renovating a house that she planned to rent as a Airbnb named Redstone. According to Iris, her Airbnb was not finished or ready for occupancy but her grandmother convinced her to let the Welsh family stay there. Just what Iris needed! Her first occupants included a famous chef movie star. Cooper Welsh was the one who made the biggest impression on Iris, though. Little did Iris understand at the time, though, that Cooper had witnessed a shooting while he was working as a paramedic. It had left a lasting impact upon his life, career and his relationship with others. Would Cooper get the help he so desperately needed? Did Iris and Copper have a chance at a future together with Cooper’s troubled life?
I finished reading The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski in two days. It was hard to pull myself away from it. I enjoyed the characters so much. They seemed like old friends. The descriptions of the landscape was breathtaking from the glistening lakes to the beautiful forests and charming homes and local stores. The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County touched on many topics including the importance of family, the love for the place you grew up in, friendships, PTSD, alcoholism, a true sense of community, death, grief, loss, family dysfunction, the impact of having an absent father, cancer, preying on the elderly through fraud and romance. I love how the people of this small tight knit community came together to rescue and help a long time resident. The love that went into all the aspects of the Church Cookbook was so inspiring. I really enjoyed reading The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski that I won in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2024
THE FUNERAL LADIES OF ELLERIE COUNTY is the first time I've read Claire Swinarski, but it won't be the last. This story is so heart warming and unforgettable. It is almost as if Claire wrote the story just for me. Now I am on the hunt for her backlist books and that makes me very excited. I was sad when THE FUNERAL LADIES OF ELLERIE COUNTY ended because I wasn't ready to leave my new lake friends. The sense of community and small town America is really appealing to me and left me missing the small towns that I have lived in. I strongly recommend THE FUNERAL LADIES OF ELLERIE COUNTY to anyone who likes a great contemporary family story that you will have a hard time putting down.
See my full review here:
https://freshfiction.com/review.php?i...
See my full review here:
https://freshfiction.com/review.php?i...
February 21, 2024
The title of this book caught my attention and I had to read it after I read the description. Claire Swinarski is a new author for me.
Description:
Armed with a Crock-Pot and a pile of recipes, a grandmother, her granddaughter, and a mysterious young man work to bring a community together in this uplifting novel for readers of The Chicken Sisters.
Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the “funeral ladies,” she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed—it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can’t fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days. Iris, Esther’s whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community.
As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she’s found the missing piece of her puzzle. Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he’s been looking for.
It doesn’t seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used ingredient. But when you mix the can-do spirit of Midwestern grandmothers with the stubborn hope of a boy raised by food plus a dash of long-awaited forgiveness—things might just turn out okay. Includes Recipes
My Thoughts:
This book reminded me of growing up in a small town and of a group of older ladies at the church I attended when I was young. This is a heartwarming story of family and community pulling together when one of their own is in trouble. My heart went out to Esther after someone online convinced her she was in trouble and Esther loaned her a lot of money - then found she was scammed and she may lose her house. I loved the way Esther's granddaughter Iris did everything she could to help her grandmother. The story of the chef and his family added depth and intrigue to the story with the PTSD issue, their family issues, and the celebrity. The funeral ladies are a treat and are such great friends. I just loved all the characters. Claire Swinarski has spun a great story and I will look for more of her books in the future.
Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager through Netgalley for an advance copy. Expected publication on March 12, 2024.
Description:
Armed with a Crock-Pot and a pile of recipes, a grandmother, her granddaughter, and a mysterious young man work to bring a community together in this uplifting novel for readers of The Chicken Sisters.
Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the “funeral ladies,” she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed—it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can’t fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days. Iris, Esther’s whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community.
As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she’s found the missing piece of her puzzle. Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he’s been looking for.
It doesn’t seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used ingredient. But when you mix the can-do spirit of Midwestern grandmothers with the stubborn hope of a boy raised by food plus a dash of long-awaited forgiveness—things might just turn out okay. Includes Recipes
My Thoughts:
This book reminded me of growing up in a small town and of a group of older ladies at the church I attended when I was young. This is a heartwarming story of family and community pulling together when one of their own is in trouble. My heart went out to Esther after someone online convinced her she was in trouble and Esther loaned her a lot of money - then found she was scammed and she may lose her house. I loved the way Esther's granddaughter Iris did everything she could to help her grandmother. The story of the chef and his family added depth and intrigue to the story with the PTSD issue, their family issues, and the celebrity. The funeral ladies are a treat and are such great friends. I just loved all the characters. Claire Swinarski has spun a great story and I will look for more of her books in the future.
Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager through Netgalley for an advance copy. Expected publication on March 12, 2024.
March 23, 2024
2.5 rounded up.
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was a tale of two books. At the 30% mark, I thought this would be an easy five-star read. Unfortunately, by the 60% mark, I realized the book I wanted was not the book I was getting. I thought I was getting a book about the funeral ladies. I thought I was getting a story where a community cookbook would bring the other characters together, and they would cook their way through their grief, perhaps a sweet, small-town romance. However, that is not this story.
Sadly, the funeral ladies rarely make an appearance. The focus is the romance between Cooper and Iris, and yet the romance is poorly executed. After their first initial scenes, I never rooted for them. I actively hated them together. There is nearly no joy in this book. The story is overwhelmed by trauma. I could barely catch my breath.
I also had a problem with the story encouraging excessive drinking to the point that drunk driving is no big deal.
The Funeral Ladies left me feeling hopeless and exhausted. I can see several people loving this, but I am not that person.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was a tale of two books. At the 30% mark, I thought this would be an easy five-star read. Unfortunately, by the 60% mark, I realized the book I wanted was not the book I was getting. I thought I was getting a book about the funeral ladies. I thought I was getting a story where a community cookbook would bring the other characters together, and they would cook their way through their grief, perhaps a sweet, small-town romance. However, that is not this story.
Sadly, the funeral ladies rarely make an appearance. The focus is the romance between Cooper and Iris, and yet the romance is poorly executed. After their first initial scenes, I never rooted for them. I actively hated them together. There is nearly no joy in this book. The story is overwhelmed by trauma. I could barely catch my breath.
I also had a problem with the story encouraging excessive drinking to the point that drunk driving is no big deal.
The Funeral Ladies left me feeling hopeless and exhausted. I can see several people loving this, but I am not that person.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up. Because it wasn’t great but wasn’t 2 stars bad.
I thought about DNFing this book several times. I wanted a cute book about little old ladies making a cookbook. Not the Iris and Cooper show. Boy were they nauseating. This was giving serious Hallmark vibes until all the PTSD, drinking, abuse, etc… I’m not saying a book can’t tackle some serious issues but the title and description of this book doesn’t make one think that issues like that will be the main topic. Also the ending was just kind of meh.
Other things that bugged me:
-Ellerie is supposed to be so small the one grocery store doesn’t sale fresh jalapeños but tourists are there all the time? The town my family is from only has about 15,000 people but has at least 5 grocery stores and all of them sale fresh jalapeños but there are no tourist. How freaking small is this town?
-Iris is only 26 and doing freelance graphic design but can afford not one but two houses in this economy. What? A lot of couples with 2 steady full time incomes can’t afford one home these days. Seems suss.
-Iris was pretty judgey about a girl only 3 years younger than her living at home.
-Iris went to some college I’ve never heard of and yet tons of her classmates have super competitive, highly sought after jobs. British Bake Off please.
-Who is Maisie? I swear she wasn’t in the book at all until almost then end then she just popped up and was hanging out with the funeral ladies. Did I miss something?
-Esther says she only has one daughter but I’m pretty sure she mentions on several occasions having 2. Especially when talking about Olivia having her first kid at her age. Said she already had 2 by that time. Or am I making things up?
-My copy says “includes recipes” on the back. There is one. One recipe for pie crust. Are there supposed to be more? Or is this false advertising?
-There were probably other things that annoyed me but I didn’t make a list
-I read an ARC so hopefully some of these things will be addressed in the final version as some other reviewers have pointed out similar issues.
*I received a free ARC copy of this book through GoodReads giveaways*
I thought about DNFing this book several times. I wanted a cute book about little old ladies making a cookbook. Not the Iris and Cooper show. Boy were they nauseating. This was giving serious Hallmark vibes until all the PTSD, drinking, abuse, etc… I’m not saying a book can’t tackle some serious issues but the title and description of this book doesn’t make one think that issues like that will be the main topic. Also the ending was just kind of meh.
Other things that bugged me:
-Ellerie is supposed to be so small the one grocery store doesn’t sale fresh jalapeños but tourists are there all the time? The town my family is from only has about 15,000 people but has at least 5 grocery stores and all of them sale fresh jalapeños but there are no tourist. How freaking small is this town?
-Iris is only 26 and doing freelance graphic design but can afford not one but two houses in this economy. What? A lot of couples with 2 steady full time incomes can’t afford one home these days. Seems suss.
-Iris was pretty judgey about a girl only 3 years younger than her living at home.
-Iris went to some college I’ve never heard of and yet tons of her classmates have super competitive, highly sought after jobs. British Bake Off please.
-Who is Maisie? I swear she wasn’t in the book at all until almost then end then she just popped up and was hanging out with the funeral ladies. Did I miss something?
-Esther says she only has one daughter but I’m pretty sure she mentions on several occasions having 2. Especially when talking about Olivia having her first kid at her age. Said she already had 2 by that time. Or am I making things up?
-My copy says “includes recipes” on the back. There is one. One recipe for pie crust. Are there supposed to be more? Or is this false advertising?
-There were probably other things that annoyed me but I didn’t make a list
-I read an ARC so hopefully some of these things will be addressed in the final version as some other reviewers have pointed out similar issues.
*I received a free ARC copy of this book through GoodReads giveaways*
April 3, 2024
This was a very nice story with a lot of characters that I didn't like at all. I started off at least liking Esther, but by the end, I couldn't stand her either. She was so judgmental, and most of the other characters were just plain annoying.
I love the idea of a small town coming together, but these small town people were kind of horrible. They all seemed fine with drunk driving, but oh, the horror of someone being a different religion than them. There was a part when Esther went to a different church to speak to someone, and her first thought was about how fat the other woman was and whether she owned a mirror. And don't even get me started on all of the icky political undertones sprinkled throughout.
I didn't mean for this to be such a rant, but this is how it made me feel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I love the idea of a small town coming together, but these small town people were kind of horrible. They all seemed fine with drunk driving, but oh, the horror of someone being a different religion than them. There was a part when Esther went to a different church to speak to someone, and her first thought was about how fat the other woman was and whether she owned a mirror. And don't even get me started on all of the icky political undertones sprinkled throughout.
I didn't mean for this to be such a rant, but this is how it made me feel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
May 6, 2024
I don't know why Claire Swinarski wasn't on my radar before, but I'm so glad she is now! Going into The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County and simply basing my ideas on its cover and title, I was expecting a funny but down-to-earth read about small-town women cooking for funerals. While that is a part of this story, it was much more serious than I had expected it to be, and it is a heavy hitter as opposed to being a lighthearted read. It does have its funny moments though and being a Minnesotan with in-laws from Wisconsin, so many things were relatable from F.I.B.'s to Spotted Cow to the Northwoods. There are a handful of genres at play here from family drama to romance, and I loved the way Swinarski blended it all together.
I loved that the audiobook is narrated by a full cast, and Alexander Cendese, Alexandra Hunter & Ann Richardson were great as the voices of Esther, Iris, and Cooper. However, I will say that at least Cendese knew how to say F.I.B. (and no it isn't said like FBI 🤣). I saw that the author lives in WI and I thought she did a wonderful job bringing that state and its inhabitants to life. The thing that makes this story the toughest to read is that Cooper is suffering from PTSD which everyone but him recognizes. He basically starts drinking himself into oblivion and those parts (and where they stem from) are very hard to read. We are left with a lot of hope in the end though, and while some aspects were a little too overwhelming for me, I loved the majority of this emotional and thoughtful read. I would recommend this to Midwesterners, bonus points if you are from MN or WI, and readers who are looking for a witty but emotional story that is all about being home.
I loved that the audiobook is narrated by a full cast, and Alexander Cendese, Alexandra Hunter & Ann Richardson were great as the voices of Esther, Iris, and Cooper. However, I will say that at least Cendese knew how to say F.I.B. (and no it isn't said like FBI 🤣). I saw that the author lives in WI and I thought she did a wonderful job bringing that state and its inhabitants to life. The thing that makes this story the toughest to read is that Cooper is suffering from PTSD which everyone but him recognizes. He basically starts drinking himself into oblivion and those parts (and where they stem from) are very hard to read. We are left with a lot of hope in the end though, and while some aspects were a little too overwhelming for me, I loved the majority of this emotional and thoughtful read. I would recommend this to Midwesterners, bonus points if you are from MN or WI, and readers who are looking for a witty but emotional story that is all about being home.
September 29, 2023
I'm giving this one 3.75 stars, rounded up. PTSD, emotional relationship abuse, cancer, alcoholism, death and grief trigger warnings. This was my first ever NetGalley ARC, and this was a beautiful novel to start off with!
A quick, heartwarming story of a small town in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I found myself relating wholeheartedly to the feel of the location, being a Midwesterner who has grown up with northern cabin vacations myself. I could absolutely tell the author was from the area also–mentions of various city names, Kwik Trip, all the cheese (though literally everyone knows this is what Wisconsin is known for lol), Spotted Cow (you KNOW this is THE Wisconsin beer!!), and of course, the good ol' Culver's. It's little things like that that make me more appreciative of a book, that the author understood and acknowledged the location in which they set their book.
I honestly didn't know what to expect after reading the book's description. But hey, I love food and I love complex family stories, and along with the beautifully illustrated cover, I was sold, and ended up pleasantly surprised. Three generations of Larson women, and each have such distinct personalities. Esther absolutely is the stern, yet warm grandmother figure you'd expect. Very much set in her ways, but is always there whenever someone is in need. Fran, Esther's daughter, isn't a main character, but serves as a supportive figure to both Esther and her own daughter. Which brings us to Iris, the pretty remarkable Gen Z (this is something that is mentioned a bit too often IMO, but pretty on point for Gen Z–they do like to remind us all of their generation) granddaughter of Esther. A freelance graphic designer and owner of her own home + a cabin Airbnb she's renovating on her own? Wow, goals! This next brings us to Cooper, our third and final POV of the book, who is brought to Ellerie County due to the death of his stepmother Annabelle (personal opinion but I hate whenever I see this name in books–that darn doll's face always pops up in my mind), with his sister Cricket and famous chef, but absent, father Ivan. Cooper suffers from PTSD, and we see the consequences of that throughout the book. His PTSD was written very well in my eyes, and was extremely tough to read through. Such a complex thing that could have been glazed over, but was given the gravitas it deserves.
I'll be honest, the first thing that drew me into this book was the cover. As a graphic designer and illustrator, I thought it was so beautiful! However, after reading this book, I feel like I would have loved to see the cover mimic the simple, brown and green one of the Funeral Ladies' cookbook? A little missed opportunity to me. The writing style was also very matter-of-fact, which isn't necessarily bad, but not usually my favorite. I would have also loved an epilogue to this story! I feel like that would have pushed my review a little higher.
Overall, enjoyed this read. And a very special thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books/Harper Voyager for sharing this advanced copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
A quick, heartwarming story of a small town in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I found myself relating wholeheartedly to the feel of the location, being a Midwesterner who has grown up with northern cabin vacations myself. I could absolutely tell the author was from the area also–mentions of various city names, Kwik Trip, all the cheese (though literally everyone knows this is what Wisconsin is known for lol), Spotted Cow (you KNOW this is THE Wisconsin beer!!), and of course, the good ol' Culver's. It's little things like that that make me more appreciative of a book, that the author understood and acknowledged the location in which they set their book.
I honestly didn't know what to expect after reading the book's description. But hey, I love food and I love complex family stories, and along with the beautifully illustrated cover, I was sold, and ended up pleasantly surprised. Three generations of Larson women, and each have such distinct personalities. Esther absolutely is the stern, yet warm grandmother figure you'd expect. Very much set in her ways, but is always there whenever someone is in need. Fran, Esther's daughter, isn't a main character, but serves as a supportive figure to both Esther and her own daughter. Which brings us to Iris, the pretty remarkable Gen Z (this is something that is mentioned a bit too often IMO, but pretty on point for Gen Z–they do like to remind us all of their generation) granddaughter of Esther. A freelance graphic designer and owner of her own home + a cabin Airbnb she's renovating on her own? Wow, goals! This next brings us to Cooper, our third and final POV of the book, who is brought to Ellerie County due to the death of his stepmother Annabelle (personal opinion but I hate whenever I see this name in books–that darn doll's face always pops up in my mind), with his sister Cricket and famous chef, but absent, father Ivan. Cooper suffers from PTSD, and we see the consequences of that throughout the book. His PTSD was written very well in my eyes, and was extremely tough to read through. Such a complex thing that could have been glazed over, but was given the gravitas it deserves.
I'll be honest, the first thing that drew me into this book was the cover. As a graphic designer and illustrator, I thought it was so beautiful! However, after reading this book, I feel like I would have loved to see the cover mimic the simple, brown and green one of the Funeral Ladies' cookbook? A little missed opportunity to me. The writing style was also very matter-of-fact, which isn't necessarily bad, but not usually my favorite. I would have also loved an epilogue to this story! I feel like that would have pushed my review a little higher.
Overall, enjoyed this read. And a very special thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books/Harper Voyager for sharing this advanced copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
November 21, 2025
This novel sets up a collision between a peaceful rural town in the north woods of Wisconsin with two intrusions from the outside world, (1) a family of strangers visiting town for a funeral, and (2) an on-line scammer who tricks a trusting old widow lady out of her life savings.
The local community is well prepared for providing the meal for the funeral thanks to the “funeral ladies,” but they’re less sure about what to do about their friend who had been scammed. Of course the solution is to do what they do best, compile a community cookbook of their recipes and sell them as a money raiser to help bail out their friend. But will they be able of raise the needed $20,000?
Well it just so happens the new family in town that’s visiting for purposes of attending a funeral just happens to include a famous TV celebrity food chef. It would seem that he could help sell their cookbook but for almost all of the book the local people are too proud to ask for help from an outsider. However, for various reasons this this family decides to stay in town for an indefinite length of time, and a romance between the celebrity’s son an a local young woman develops.
The sentimentality of the subsequent love story is worthy of a Disney TV Channel movie. Everything seems to be progressing to a happy ending when some difficult issues arise. The man in the romantic relationship suffers from PTSD stemming from his experience as a medic at a recent mass shooting event. This leads to behavior on his part that endangers the developing relationship.
Dealing with the issue of PTSD is further developed by revealing that the deceased husband of the woman who has been scammed also suffered from PTSD from his Vietnam experience. The book’s narration uses the experiences of these two different PTSD cases to explore ways to take steps toward healing.
The book thus provides some good lessons in human relationships and brings things to a mostly realistic conclusion. So is the woman’s house saved? Does the romance survive? You’ll need to read the book to find out.
The local community is well prepared for providing the meal for the funeral thanks to the “funeral ladies,” but they’re less sure about what to do about their friend who had been scammed. Of course the solution is to do what they do best, compile a community cookbook of their recipes and sell them as a money raiser to help bail out their friend. But will they be able of raise the needed $20,000?
Well it just so happens the new family in town that’s visiting for purposes of attending a funeral just happens to include a famous TV celebrity food chef. It would seem that he could help sell their cookbook but for almost all of the book the local people are too proud to ask for help from an outsider. However, for various reasons this this family decides to stay in town for an indefinite length of time, and a romance between the celebrity’s son an a local young woman develops.
The sentimentality of the subsequent love story is worthy of a Disney TV Channel movie. Everything seems to be progressing to a happy ending when some difficult issues arise. The man in the romantic relationship suffers from PTSD stemming from his experience as a medic at a recent mass shooting event. This leads to behavior on his part that endangers the developing relationship.
Dealing with the issue of PTSD is further developed by revealing that the deceased husband of the woman who has been scammed also suffered from PTSD from his Vietnam experience. The book’s narration uses the experiences of these two different PTSD cases to explore ways to take steps toward healing.
The book thus provides some good lessons in human relationships and brings things to a mostly realistic conclusion. So is the woman’s house saved? Does the romance survive? You’ll need to read the book to find out.
May 13, 2024
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was a huge miss for me. I was so looking forward to cozying up with Claire’s debut adult novel set in Northern Wisconsin. I trudged through it instead and honestly might not have finished if I wasn’t reading it for book club.
Ok first, the writing was just clunky. Having read her middle grade novels, I suspect it’s a transition issue into adult novels. The conversations felt forced and not authentic, the timeline was everywhere, the depth and details of story I expect was missing. The chapters alternated from Iris, Cooper, and Ether’s viewpoints and I felt as though we could have benefitted from some declaration of that at the chapter headings.
2nd - I think Claire had a lot of ideas and put them all in one book. Which is why the book jacket seems like a cozy read. The we leave the funeral ladies and Esther’s personal crisis behind. We jump full into a story of PTSD and the abusive relationships it has resulted in for some of these women. And why not throw in some dad issues, a cancer diagnosis, and taking full custody of a teenager? I get that life happens all at once. I felt that these issues were not fully explored however and for the sake of the others, some may need to be dropped.
Ok. 3rd - I just didn’t like any character. Nothing made me root for any of them. Actually, my favorite turned out the be Ivan (the absent father).
4th - I should say I am a practicing Catholic as the intro to this. I disliked the amount of Catholic references. They didn’t seem genuine. They didn’t seem used in a way to support the faith. It just felt like a lot of in your face Catholicism. From old people.
5th - the word choice. Prior to having kids (and sometimes when they are in bed) my language is not the cleanest. But this was ridiculous. So much swearing. It didn’t add to the book. I’m of the opinion that a well-placed cuss can show the frustration or anger or fear of a character. But this was just the language these people used. Because they didn’t have other words. I honestly don’t want to read a book with characters who speak like this.
6th - the characters were always drinking. Some of them in excess. I’m from Wisconsin, this just isn’t real. And if it is, I’m concerned because every single one of them is going to die early from organ failure. It was too much.
7th - too many cringy jokes.
This should be an interesting discussion…. I don’t think anyone was expecting this.
Ok first, the writing was just clunky. Having read her middle grade novels, I suspect it’s a transition issue into adult novels. The conversations felt forced and not authentic, the timeline was everywhere, the depth and details of story I expect was missing. The chapters alternated from Iris, Cooper, and Ether’s viewpoints and I felt as though we could have benefitted from some declaration of that at the chapter headings.
2nd - I think Claire had a lot of ideas and put them all in one book. Which is why the book jacket seems like a cozy read. The we leave the funeral ladies and Esther’s personal crisis behind. We jump full into a story of PTSD and the abusive relationships it has resulted in for some of these women. And why not throw in some dad issues, a cancer diagnosis, and taking full custody of a teenager? I get that life happens all at once. I felt that these issues were not fully explored however and for the sake of the others, some may need to be dropped.
Ok. 3rd - I just didn’t like any character. Nothing made me root for any of them. Actually, my favorite turned out the be Ivan (the absent father).
4th - I should say I am a practicing Catholic as the intro to this. I disliked the amount of Catholic references. They didn’t seem genuine. They didn’t seem used in a way to support the faith. It just felt like a lot of in your face Catholicism. From old people.
5th - the word choice. Prior to having kids (and sometimes when they are in bed) my language is not the cleanest. But this was ridiculous. So much swearing. It didn’t add to the book. I’m of the opinion that a well-placed cuss can show the frustration or anger or fear of a character. But this was just the language these people used. Because they didn’t have other words. I honestly don’t want to read a book with characters who speak like this.
6th - the characters were always drinking. Some of them in excess. I’m from Wisconsin, this just isn’t real. And if it is, I’m concerned because every single one of them is going to die early from organ failure. It was too much.
7th - too many cringy jokes.
This should be an interesting discussion…. I don’t think anyone was expecting this.
May 6, 2024
A warm and emotional story--not cheesy, despite the Velveeta--and perfect for your vacation up north. From what I've learned living elsewhere in the US, many people don't understand the Midwest. They especially don't want to understand Wisconsin. And this book makes it real. I know every single character in it.
March 19, 2024
DNF.
Boring
Boring
March 7, 2024
Esther Larson is embarrassed when her family discovers that she has been fooled by an online scammer with a sob story to whom she’s given almost her entire savings and that now the bank is threatening to foreclose on her lakeside home. Esther’s granddaughter, Iris, is horrified by the possibility of her grandmother’s loss, and is determined to stop it happening. Inspiration comes from an unlikely source, the son of celebrity chef Ivan Welsh, who is staying in Iris’s Air B&B with his father and younger sister. Well known for her tasty cooking as a member of the ‘funeral ladies’, a group of women who have been providing food for funerals for decades, Iris thinks a cookbook containing recipes from Esther and her friends would sell well enough to raise the money needed.
I took a chance on The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County expecting a lighthearted family drama, with recipes included as a bonus, but that’s not quite the story Claire Swinarski has written. I would have been content if the story had remained focused on Esther, her friends, and the cookbook, but instead Iris, and the troubled Cooper Welsh, take centre stage. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just not what I was looking for.
If I look past that disappointment, The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was an engaging read. There is warmth, gentle humour, and heart as Esther’s family, friends and community rallies around her, but Swinarski also stirs up a lot of emotion exploring challenging topics including PTSD, grief, intimate violence, and family dysfunction. I admired the realistic and sensitive way the author had her characters deal with these issues, and I particularly found the connection between Esther’s marriage, and Iris and Conner’s relationship to be a poignant element. However in what is a reasonably short book at under 300 pages, Connor’s, and his family’s, issues certainly felt as if they dominated the storyline.
Just as a note disappointingly my ARC included only a single recipe for pie crust, I certainly hope that the published copy contains more.
Despite my thwarted expectations, I did like The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County, and if you favour lots of family drama in a small town setting I’m sure you will too.
I took a chance on The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County expecting a lighthearted family drama, with recipes included as a bonus, but that’s not quite the story Claire Swinarski has written. I would have been content if the story had remained focused on Esther, her friends, and the cookbook, but instead Iris, and the troubled Cooper Welsh, take centre stage. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just not what I was looking for.
If I look past that disappointment, The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was an engaging read. There is warmth, gentle humour, and heart as Esther’s family, friends and community rallies around her, but Swinarski also stirs up a lot of emotion exploring challenging topics including PTSD, grief, intimate violence, and family dysfunction. I admired the realistic and sensitive way the author had her characters deal with these issues, and I particularly found the connection between Esther’s marriage, and Iris and Conner’s relationship to be a poignant element. However in what is a reasonably short book at under 300 pages, Connor’s, and his family’s, issues certainly felt as if they dominated the storyline.
Just as a note disappointingly my ARC included only a single recipe for pie crust, I certainly hope that the published copy contains more.
Despite my thwarted expectations, I did like The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County, and if you favour lots of family drama in a small town setting I’m sure you will too.
May 13, 2025
A charming and cozy read for a change of pace between heftier tomes. The midwest flavor comes through, and finding a character opines that "loon calls sound a lot like hope. . ." underscored that sensibility for this reader. While it isn't all feathers and fluff as it is about ladies who cook for funerals (death and trauma feature regularly in their daily work), the story is clearly told with a hopeful heart. Stories of service to others can sometimes be oversweet and go too long, but for me this was just right in both categories.
Finally, as the narrative arc makes ending contact with the horizon, the reader is slipped one of Esther's recipes, and will soon be wondering what to start gathering for that tasty treat - sweet or savory?
*A sincere thank you to Claire Swinarski, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheFuneralLadiesofEllerieCounty #NetGalley
Finally, as the narrative arc makes ending contact with the horizon, the reader is slipped one of Esther's recipes, and will soon be wondering what to start gathering for that tasty treat - sweet or savory?
*A sincere thank you to Claire Swinarski, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheFuneralLadiesofEllerieCounty #NetGalley
June 28, 2024
1.5 stars is probably more accurate. I loved the concept of a woman who works to make moments of grief more tolerable in the small ways one can -- and as a Wisconsinite I was curious to see how my state was portrayed. I was disappointed. Every character gets more unlikable as the story goes on. Wisconsin feels satirized. Everyone is a conservative, borderline alcoholic who doesn't understand gluten-free diets. The author also made the weird choice to be overly specific about brands? Which counterintuitively, made the world feel less real; like if you drew a tree and captured every vein on every leaf instead of just making enough indications of leaves that the viewer's brain fills in the rest subconsciously. I was DEEPLY annoyed that every character seemed to refer to the setting as "the Northwoods." "Out here in the Northwoods..." "It's a long drive to the Northwoods..." "she breathed in the smell of the Northwoods." Nobody talks like that. Especially people who live within reasonable driving distance of Milwaukee. That being said.. I saw pieces of the home that I miss here, of what it's like to live in a small cold town with an aging population. The portrayal of PTSD and how isolating mental health and domestic violence can be were powerful. But those few moments of connection fell flat when confronted with the Hallmark movie romanticization of ... Everything else.
Also there are several nature inaccuracies which was another, less intense, layer of annoyance. Loons migrate south, you would not hear them in winter. Does can only have -- at Most -- two fawns which is already somewhat uncommon, the book mentions a scene with a mother and three fawns. Which I know is nit picky of me, but it really took me out of the book.
Also there are several nature inaccuracies which was another, less intense, layer of annoyance. Loons migrate south, you would not hear them in winter. Does can only have -- at Most -- two fawns which is already somewhat uncommon, the book mentions a scene with a mother and three fawns. Which I know is nit picky of me, but it really took me out of the book.
May 10, 2024
Mini-Review: This was just not for me. The novel started off charming and warm, giving strong parallel vibes to J. Ryan Stradal's SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB or even one of my recent all-time favorites, Jennifer Close's MARRYING THE KETCHUPS. But while those novels are filled with characters who might look the same but feel, breathe, and exude diversity, Swinarski's characters were all cookie-cutter using the same out-of-the-box bake mix. There were some conservative POVs peppered throughout the novel that, barring my disagreement with them, just detracted from the story (a lot of thoughts about Gun Control not leading to any positive outcomes... which just had nothing to do with a story about a cookbook?!) And I always get frustrated by a novel that only exists beacuse its protagonist is seemingly too proud. Like, if the grandmother had just accepted the cash from a total stranger (after having given her own money away to a stranger online) there would... be no book!? Skip this one, pick up one of the others I refer to above.
April 14, 2024
It would have been a 2.5 star review but I can't bring it up to 3 because too many strange things went on in the story and it felt like a weird Hallmark movie. The title promises a story about the Funeral Ladies (of a small town) and I guess I hoped for that... small town, quirky characters and their stories. Instead, there was a heavy plotline about a romance between one of the funeral ladies' granddaughters and a man with PTSD, the son of a famous celebrity chef. The chef was once married to someone from the small town and they are grieving her death. One of the funeral ladies has been scammed out of $30,000 online so there's a cookbook fundraiser and many references to the healing properties of well-made food. There are also cringe worthy references to driving while intoxicated as being okay behaviour since it's in a small town and an odd message about gun control laws. I never really connected with any one of the characters and it was just kind of a long, boring story.
December 14, 2025
I read this book with my local book club friends. We chose this book because it looked like a light, fun read - which we include in our rotation of genres. And it was a fun read, as we discovered the friendships and activities of a group of women who provide funeral meals for members of their community. But this book was also much more. It introduced the topic of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the pain this trauma inflicts not just on the victim, but on the victim’s family and friends. Swinarski handled this so well, that it was quite emotional to read.
May 14, 2024
My aunts do not show up empty handed. If we stay in a hotel without a breakfast, my aunt sets up a full buffet in her hotel room. (I'm talking crockpots full of bacon and a large roaster full of scrambled eggs to feed my entire family, plus trays of baked goods and 9x13 pans full of coffee cakes balanced all around the room.) If we have a family funeral, there is a table full of meat and cheese and fruit and crackers and fresh baked desserts and probably someone's home-grown, homemade preserves. If we gather at a bar, that bar better clear out a few outlets for their crockpots full of pulled pork. I'm as midwest as they come, having spent (almost) my whole life in Wisconsin, surrounded by aunts and grandparents. I know about coolers full of beer and parties hosted in the garage. It is truly almost magical the way my aunts can show up with food that never seems to run short.
And that is one of the reasons I really wanted to love The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County. I know these women, Catholic hostesses who know the best meals to feed a crowd. I really did enjoy so much of this story. Swinarski is right to celebrate women who, capably and consistently, love their neighbors in tangible, delicious ways.
Swinarski also does a great job of handling several contemporary issues inside of this story. She addresses PTSD (and ties it to a true news event from Wisconsin) and brings up the real-life costs of online scams. This story really tests the boundaries of trust--of course, we must have trust to build community, but we must be careful who we trust.
If you were thinking the funeral ladies would be the main dish, you'll either be delighted or disappointed to find out that this is actually a love story. The story is both cute and challenging, and I thought the main love interest, Iris, was admirable in the way she handled herself.
My biggest disappointments with the book were some of the ways in which Wisconsin was misrepresented. I would be nodding along to the parts that felt really familiar. (Do I love an Old Fashioned? I do! Do I crank up Ben Rector in my car? Absolutely!) But then something would snag my attention because it just seemed... off. At moments, the story would show the true dangers of our drinking culture, but then would laugh off drunkenness just a few pages later. I think if I lived farther from Wisconsin, I would see this as just a funny look inside of an overlooked culture. Because I live here, I had a hard time overlooking little mistakes--like saying Culver's has Moose Tracks as the flavor of the day? Nope. I drive by the Flavor of the Day every day and that's not on the list. I also didn't like how frequently her characters cussed...I'm not a total prude, but this just didn't ring true to my Wisconsin ear (and it means I probably won't be buying this book for my mom for Mother's Day, as I had hoped!) I may be too close to the subject material or I may have had my expectations too finely tuned to let this book be what it was. All I know is that if you loved J. Ryan Stradal's Kitchens of the Great Midwest or The Lager Queen of Minnesota, this book is definitely for you!
And that is one of the reasons I really wanted to love The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County. I know these women, Catholic hostesses who know the best meals to feed a crowd. I really did enjoy so much of this story. Swinarski is right to celebrate women who, capably and consistently, love their neighbors in tangible, delicious ways.
Swinarski also does a great job of handling several contemporary issues inside of this story. She addresses PTSD (and ties it to a true news event from Wisconsin) and brings up the real-life costs of online scams. This story really tests the boundaries of trust--of course, we must have trust to build community, but we must be careful who we trust.
If you were thinking the funeral ladies would be the main dish, you'll either be delighted or disappointed to find out that this is actually a love story. The story is both cute and challenging, and I thought the main love interest, Iris, was admirable in the way she handled herself.
My biggest disappointments with the book were some of the ways in which Wisconsin was misrepresented. I would be nodding along to the parts that felt really familiar. (Do I love an Old Fashioned? I do! Do I crank up Ben Rector in my car? Absolutely!) But then something would snag my attention because it just seemed... off. At moments, the story would show the true dangers of our drinking culture, but then would laugh off drunkenness just a few pages later. I think if I lived farther from Wisconsin, I would see this as just a funny look inside of an overlooked culture. Because I live here, I had a hard time overlooking little mistakes--like saying Culver's has Moose Tracks as the flavor of the day? Nope. I drive by the Flavor of the Day every day and that's not on the list. I also didn't like how frequently her characters cussed...I'm not a total prude, but this just didn't ring true to my Wisconsin ear (and it means I probably won't be buying this book for my mom for Mother's Day, as I had hoped!) I may be too close to the subject material or I may have had my expectations too finely tuned to let this book be what it was. All I know is that if you loved J. Ryan Stradal's Kitchens of the Great Midwest or The Lager Queen of Minnesota, this book is definitely for you!
September 14, 2025
This book was a disappointment. I really wanted it to be the companion piece to Stradal’s Supper Club, but I honestly felt as if it was mistitled. It was barely about the funeral ladies at all! If anything, the majority of the story was spent with a couple in an abusive relationship while one dealt with PTSD and one dealt with…all this money she apparently had for 2 houses from freelancing graphic design jobs? It felt out of touch. And if you’d never experienced the Catholic religion, you would think absolutely one thing about the people of this faith coming out of it: they’re judgmental assholes. And I’m an atheist who thinks that stereotype was overplayed!
The characters were insufferable, the tragedy played up for plot development, and all the character development felt like it happened off screen. There were just too many stories crammed into one for this book to be anything more than a hot, pointless mess. And the final/only recipe included with the book is a standard pie crust with 4 ingredients? How worthless. Skip this one for sure!
The characters were insufferable, the tragedy played up for plot development, and all the character development felt like it happened off screen. There were just too many stories crammed into one for this book to be anything more than a hot, pointless mess. And the final/only recipe included with the book is a standard pie crust with 4 ingredients? How worthless. Skip this one for sure!
April 7, 2024
The best thing about this book is the cover - it's very pretty. It's short, only 255 pages, but I had a really hard time getting through this. At various points, I wanted to DNF it. But decided against it because I wanted to see what happened with Esther's house. There were a few things in here that made me pretty angry:
1.) Trash talk about people that live in Illinois
2.) Felix
3.) Cooper
4.) Too much religion
1.) Trash talk about people that live in Illinois
2.) Felix
3.) Cooper
4.) Too much religion
June 10, 2024
Listen, I rarely leave bad reviews but I feel so hoodwinked by this one that I feel like I have to. No hate to the author! It seems like a lot of people like this book...but it just wasn't for me. Combine that with the fact that there is some problematic points (some of the plot points seem rushed or not fleshed out, a lot of religion for a book not marketed as so, seemingly conflicting details about characters) and I just couldn't rate this high. I could maybe bump it up to 2 stars if I was feeling generous, but here we are. A more spoiler-y review below.
January 24, 2024
For fans of virgin river, here’s a laugh-out-loud intergenerational story featuring the ellerie county funeral ladies aka the funniest and snarkiest grandmas ever (I LOVE THEM!) i found myself chuckling throughout this story! This book definitely surprised me - i was expecting a funny lighthearted story (and it was at times) but it also explored complex topics, like PTSD and trauma, with care! I only wish the story didn’t end! I hope to see these characters again soon!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this e-ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this e-ARC!
November 30, 2024
The cover and marketing copy led me to believe this was a cozy, heartwarming story about a group of older women coming together to raise money via a cookbook.
I desperately wanted to love this small town story set in Northern Wisconsin. Unfortunately it was much heavier than expected with so many subplots and eye-roll inducing WI stereotypes that I should have DNFd.
Started in print and set it aside. Tried again on audio.
I desperately wanted to love this small town story set in Northern Wisconsin. Unfortunately it was much heavier than expected with so many subplots and eye-roll inducing WI stereotypes that I should have DNFd.
Started in print and set it aside. Tried again on audio.
March 29, 2024
Oh, what a beautiful book. This isn't just a cozy food-based story set in a small town with a Hallmark love story. Well, there are parts of that, but the characters also carry real things -- hard things, the kind of things that are painfully recognizable -- in their lives. I think that's the highest compliment I can give Claire Swinarski's writing and storytelling here: it is *real.*
March 27, 2024
Love love love! This book is so sweet and heartwarming. I am always grateful for the ways in which Swinarski beautifully weaves in Catholicism without making it a “Catholic novel,” which I think is an incredibly important and rare expression of faith in art in our world today.
April 11, 2024
3.25 stars
The story would have been better (IMHO) had the author had made the "funeral ladies" and their cheesy potatoes, crockpots full of BBQ beef, & homemade pies the crux of the story. There were too many other characters (with too many problems) and it drug the book down.
The story would have been better (IMHO) had the author had made the "funeral ladies" and their cheesy potatoes, crockpots full of BBQ beef, & homemade pies the crux of the story. There were too many other characters (with too many problems) and it drug the book down.
August 4, 2024
the next time someone asks me what growing up in northern wi was like, i’m handing them this book. (minus the ptsd/celeb drama). but lakes and culvers and daily cocktail hour and Catholic old ladies and FIBs and loons - can’t explain the ache for home this book surfaced. thank you, dog hurd
June 24, 2025
This was cute. Nothing super revelatory but it made me wish for my gram. 💚
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