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Will the Circle Be Unbroken?: Reflections on Death and Dignity
We will all die. Yet modern culture fears and avoids the subject of death. This book deals sensitively with a universal experience. Studs Terkel explores the ultimate human experience, that of death and the possibility of life afterward. Death is the one experience we all share but cannot know. In "Will the Circle be Unbroken?", a wide range of people address the final experience and its impact on the present in which we live. As well as the elderly and the sick, Terkel uses his talent to draw on the experiences of those who work closely with the dying - paramedics, police, fire-fighters, doctors and the recently bereaved. In talking about the ultimate and unknowable culmination in our lives, these people give voice to their deepest beliefs and hopes, reflecting on the lives they have led and what still lies before them. The result is a universal and moving account of death and religion.
432 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1996
158 people are currently reading
1015 people want to read
About the author
Studs Terkel
75 books410 followersLouis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for "The Good War", and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.
Terkel was acclaimed for his efforts to preserve American oral history. His 1985 book "The Good War: An Oral History of World War Two", which detailed ordinary peoples' accounts of the country's involvement in World War II, won the Pulitzer Prize. For "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression", Terkel assembled recollections of the Great Depression that spanned the socioeconomic spectrum, from Okies, through prison inmates, to the wealthy. His 1974 book, "Working" also was highly acclaimed. In 1995, he received the Chicago History Museum "Making History Award" for Distinction in Journalism and Communications. In 1997, Terkel was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Two years later, he received the George Polk Career Award in 1999.
Terkel was acclaimed for his efforts to preserve American oral history. His 1985 book "The Good War: An Oral History of World War Two", which detailed ordinary peoples' accounts of the country's involvement in World War II, won the Pulitzer Prize. For "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression", Terkel assembled recollections of the Great Depression that spanned the socioeconomic spectrum, from Okies, through prison inmates, to the wealthy. His 1974 book, "Working" also was highly acclaimed. In 1995, he received the Chicago History Museum "Making History Award" for Distinction in Journalism and Communications. In 1997, Terkel was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Two years later, he received the George Polk Career Award in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
January 14, 2016
This is a fantastic collection of portraits of people - mostly from Chicago, but all kinds of different people - who are reflecting on death in their lives. some people talk about their death-defying jobs (EMT workers, firefighters), others talk about near death experiences (comas, being clinically dead for a few minutes), and others talk about who they've lost, growing old, how they've dealt with the deaths of others and how they've dealt with their own immortality (or haven't).
It's formatted very nicely - each profile/story/interview is probably no more than 10 pages (most are around 5-7), and all of the observations are those of each person, so the message runs the gamut from people who aren't remotely religious to the most devout, from people who are absolutely certain there there is an afterlife of some form, people who are absolutely certain there isn't and people who really have no idea. the near-death experiences were of course some of the most compelling - one woman was in a coma and said she saw all of her past lives, some people had out of body experiences, some saw the light and were told it wasn't their time, one woman said all she saw was darkness and a picture of her children. one person said - I think you see whatever it is you want to see, and I find that incredibly comforting in an odd way.
Overall, this really did help in a way with my coming to terms with the death of a recent loved one, and with my own mortality. It can be a little overwhelming at times, but it's really quite fascinating, and the format helps. It's very well paced and formatted, so it's inspiring and life affirming a lot more often than it is sad. Absolutely more than worth reading when you're in the right mind frame for it.
Thanks, Jeff :)
It's formatted very nicely - each profile/story/interview is probably no more than 10 pages (most are around 5-7), and all of the observations are those of each person, so the message runs the gamut from people who aren't remotely religious to the most devout, from people who are absolutely certain there there is an afterlife of some form, people who are absolutely certain there isn't and people who really have no idea. the near-death experiences were of course some of the most compelling - one woman was in a coma and said she saw all of her past lives, some people had out of body experiences, some saw the light and were told it wasn't their time, one woman said all she saw was darkness and a picture of her children. one person said - I think you see whatever it is you want to see, and I find that incredibly comforting in an odd way.
Overall, this really did help in a way with my coming to terms with the death of a recent loved one, and with my own mortality. It can be a little overwhelming at times, but it's really quite fascinating, and the format helps. It's very well paced and formatted, so it's inspiring and life affirming a lot more often than it is sad. Absolutely more than worth reading when you're in the right mind frame for it.
Thanks, Jeff :)
March 26, 2016
This book is about as heavy as they come. Organized as collection of interviews with a broad spectrum of humanity on the topics of death, faith, and meaning. Definitely not something to be taken on lightly. I found I could only get through a few interviews at a time before I was emotionally saturated. You need to allow yourself time for the words of each person to sink in.
What makes this book so deeply profound is not the subject matter, but who it is speaking on it. There are no shortage of books out there on the subject of death written by gurus, priests, rabbis, shaman, etc. And many of these books are exceptional. But what Studs Terkel has done here is very different. This book is not a religious guide, but more a sampling of the collective wisdom from within all of us.
Who hasn't wondered at some point what the person sitting in the pew next to you at church really thinks. Or the person next to you on the train for that matter. Whether or not they are religious, everybody has some kind of belief by which they structure their life. And that's what makes this book so fascinating. Terkel has managed to get people to open up and share what those raw beliefs are - even if they have never verbalized them to another person in their life.
The one thing that I constantly felt was missing from this book was the sound of the interviewee's voice. The book is essentially transcripts of interviews, and the person's character comes through as well as possible on a printed page. But how much richer an experience this would have been to have actually listened to them speaking these words with all that additional depth and nuance.
Those coming to this book looking for answers may find themselves disappointed. What one discovers is that there are a whole lot more people out there with questions than answers. But there is comfort even in that, because we're all in it together, facing the same eventual fate. It's worth noting that Terkel himself was an atheist, and I can't help but wonder if his subjects were to some extent a reflection of his own beliefs. But he mitigates his own subjectivity by presenting such a variety of people and views that no single belief dominates. If there was one common thread to be found, it was that death is not something to fear, just do the best you can with the time you have. What more can any of us do than that?
What makes this book so deeply profound is not the subject matter, but who it is speaking on it. There are no shortage of books out there on the subject of death written by gurus, priests, rabbis, shaman, etc. And many of these books are exceptional. But what Studs Terkel has done here is very different. This book is not a religious guide, but more a sampling of the collective wisdom from within all of us.
Who hasn't wondered at some point what the person sitting in the pew next to you at church really thinks. Or the person next to you on the train for that matter. Whether or not they are religious, everybody has some kind of belief by which they structure their life. And that's what makes this book so fascinating. Terkel has managed to get people to open up and share what those raw beliefs are - even if they have never verbalized them to another person in their life.
The one thing that I constantly felt was missing from this book was the sound of the interviewee's voice. The book is essentially transcripts of interviews, and the person's character comes through as well as possible on a printed page. But how much richer an experience this would have been to have actually listened to them speaking these words with all that additional depth and nuance.
Those coming to this book looking for answers may find themselves disappointed. What one discovers is that there are a whole lot more people out there with questions than answers. But there is comfort even in that, because we're all in it together, facing the same eventual fate. It's worth noting that Terkel himself was an atheist, and I can't help but wonder if his subjects were to some extent a reflection of his own beliefs. But he mitigates his own subjectivity by presenting such a variety of people and views that no single belief dominates. If there was one common thread to be found, it was that death is not something to fear, just do the best you can with the time you have. What more can any of us do than that?
December 6, 2021
Always likes Studs Terklel's writing. Such depth of understanding in everyone he writes about. As a culture need to be more comfortable discussing end of life topics.
As a hospice volunteer since 2005, I've learned to enjoy life more. Letting your loved ones know your end of life wishes is a gift for your family.
As a hospice volunteer since 2005, I've learned to enjoy life more. Letting your loved ones know your end of life wishes is a gift for your family.
February 1, 2009
Enlightening great journalism that probes many different lives about the end of their life. Not only is it amazing how comfortable people are with death, but it was even more inspiring how upset people are with the world. Upset about the professions they dedicated their lives to and what it has become in recent years. It made me really upset with how at misguided our medical, educational, and governmental institutions have become. Fixing the problems however seemed out of all the individual people's control, sadly. Overall, the theme of having faith in the overall system of life and being a part of it. Not in anyone religious institution, but in part of something that death is also a part of left of the question of the circle answered. The circle is not unbroken with the transcendental ideas and passion for life that the amazing people Studs found once again.
A marvel of journalism and writing.
A marvel of journalism and writing.
August 11, 2022
CW: death, dying, the prejudice and suffering of the AIDS epidemic, bodily trauma, racial and physical violence.
A good collection with a reasonable variety of beliefs and backgrounds.
I had absolutely no inkling whatsoever that Emmett Till's mother was interviewed in this book. I was unprepared for that devastation, even through the filter of 45 years.
A good collection with a reasonable variety of beliefs and backgrounds.
I had absolutely no inkling whatsoever that Emmett Till's mother was interviewed in this book. I was unprepared for that devastation, even through the filter of 45 years.
January 5, 2009
I didn't realize this would be individual stories from people that Studs had interviewed, which I generally don't like, the group hug thing. But I thought it timely in light of his death, and I think he hit upon the universal fears and experiences that we all have.
November 30, 2018
Review title: This train carries saints and sinners, this train
Studs Terkel's oral history, his last book at the age of 88, feels like a personal journey back through his own history, as he talks to many of the people he'd interviewed for earlier books. Chapter headings often start with old spiritual song lyrics, including "This Train", which Springsteen revisited and deepened with its pairing of saints and sinners on the same eternity-bound train. Because indeed, this train of Terkel's is loaded with plenty of both as they talk about their experiences of life, death, and hope for life after death.
Many of the passengers on this train work in the medical field where they see death more than most if us, most of the others have lived, through bad choices or bad circumstances, closer to death than most of us. With the majority of the interviews taking place in the last years of the millennium, many were warriors on both the patient and caregiver side of the medical battle that was the AIDs crisis then still at its height. There are accounts of deep pain and sadness that seem too much to bear, but despite the frequent transcription notes indicating sighs, tears, or long pauses, there are more often notes of laughter.
With Terkel facing his own soon journey into eternity, even though the questions are almost always edited out, the reader senses the urgency and direction of his probing; the "hunger for a faith" in the subtitle comes from Terkel himself as person after person responds to his seemingly insistent questioning. While few of them exhibit what we would call traditional religious faith if any persuasion, nearly all of them have thought hard about what happens after death and the role of faith on earth and in a deity on their disposition in eternity. Terkel's selection process is certainly not statistically significant or scientifically balanced, but the majority of sad, confused, and befuddled responses speaks poorly of the established faiths (whether Christianity, Judaism, or Islamism) to impart their faith and doctrine to the world.
Perhaps it is because this is the second consecutive Terkel book I have read, perhaps it is the universal appeal of the subject (every reader, including me, will face their own death soon enough) I found myself wondering how I would answer his questions and wishing that more of the parry and thrust of his questioning was included in his oral histories, especially this one. I have had brushes with death and a seemingly miraculous life (run over by a farm wagon that left not even a broken bone, a blood clot to the lungs that put me in the heart care wing where nurses said I was much too young to be there and proved strong enough to survive) and seen all four of my grandparents and my mother pass away. And I feel the strong faith my parents lived out before me has left me with strong faith in my destiny, even as my father, now nearing 86, approaches his death with a faith I have never seen waver. When I have my moments of doubt and fear, like so many of these people, I read their words, I consider my own journey, and I find faith where God provides it.
Readers will find this book a mirror they can use to reflect and focus their own introspective conversation with themselves, their families, and the God they know the best.
Studs Terkel's oral history, his last book at the age of 88, feels like a personal journey back through his own history, as he talks to many of the people he'd interviewed for earlier books. Chapter headings often start with old spiritual song lyrics, including "This Train", which Springsteen revisited and deepened with its pairing of saints and sinners on the same eternity-bound train. Because indeed, this train of Terkel's is loaded with plenty of both as they talk about their experiences of life, death, and hope for life after death.
Many of the passengers on this train work in the medical field where they see death more than most if us, most of the others have lived, through bad choices or bad circumstances, closer to death than most of us. With the majority of the interviews taking place in the last years of the millennium, many were warriors on both the patient and caregiver side of the medical battle that was the AIDs crisis then still at its height. There are accounts of deep pain and sadness that seem too much to bear, but despite the frequent transcription notes indicating sighs, tears, or long pauses, there are more often notes of laughter.
With Terkel facing his own soon journey into eternity, even though the questions are almost always edited out, the reader senses the urgency and direction of his probing; the "hunger for a faith" in the subtitle comes from Terkel himself as person after person responds to his seemingly insistent questioning. While few of them exhibit what we would call traditional religious faith if any persuasion, nearly all of them have thought hard about what happens after death and the role of faith on earth and in a deity on their disposition in eternity. Terkel's selection process is certainly not statistically significant or scientifically balanced, but the majority of sad, confused, and befuddled responses speaks poorly of the established faiths (whether Christianity, Judaism, or Islamism) to impart their faith and doctrine to the world.
Perhaps it is because this is the second consecutive Terkel book I have read, perhaps it is the universal appeal of the subject (every reader, including me, will face their own death soon enough) I found myself wondering how I would answer his questions and wishing that more of the parry and thrust of his questioning was included in his oral histories, especially this one. I have had brushes with death and a seemingly miraculous life (run over by a farm wagon that left not even a broken bone, a blood clot to the lungs that put me in the heart care wing where nurses said I was much too young to be there and proved strong enough to survive) and seen all four of my grandparents and my mother pass away. And I feel the strong faith my parents lived out before me has left me with strong faith in my destiny, even as my father, now nearing 86, approaches his death with a faith I have never seen waver. When I have my moments of doubt and fear, like so many of these people, I read their words, I consider my own journey, and I find faith where God provides it.
Readers will find this book a mirror they can use to reflect and focus their own introspective conversation with themselves, their families, and the God they know the best.
May 10, 2009
Read this earlier this year on recommendation of one of my colleagues. I had read of his death, and knew of the name, but didn't appreciate the gift until I read this majestic tome. His trick is "just" to record what people say - but the people he picks and the rappport he dvelops are amazing. The subject sounds dour, but it is very revealing as to contrasting everyday peoples views of life and death. Sobering and life affirming. I can recommend "The Studs Terkel Interviews" with Hollywood stars and others fro the 30s to the present day.
September 19, 2021
A great read for atheists and believers alike. Interviews with Vietnam vets and A-bomb survivors, and, incredibly, the weight of the stories and interviews does not slacken one whit, and in fact increases, all the way to the end ....
April 13, 2021
Lengthy book. Very interesting but needed to be taken in small doses for me as it difficult subject matter. I am not a fan of the book’s format and the epilogue is NOT an epilogue tying everything together but just another interview.
September 2, 2022
Years ago I read many of Studs Terkel's books -especially enjoying Working, Hard Times, The Good War, Race, and American Dreams --- not to slight his other books which are also good. However, it had been a long time since I've read anything by him so I recently picked up this to read for no particular reason other than that I hadn't read it and I am getting to that point in life.
The format of personal interviews of famous and mostly little known individuals, here reflecting on the topic of death, continues to work, although I found the subject matter of earlier volumes somewhat more to my interest. Still I found interviewees' views on life's end interesting, with more than I would have thought of a non-religious nature; and a surprising number that felt that this is it, that nothing really follows death.
re the title source: "Will the Circle be Unbroken" - an old hymn, first mentioned in a postscript to the Doc Watson interview.
"Fear of death is the basis of religion, because we can't imagine not existing.."
Robert Soeghan seemed on top of it with "It's a matter of living the best way you can and just preparing for the inevitable."
From a postscript on Peggy Terry, a woman from a poor Southern white klan background who became active in the Civil Rights movement, her self-proclaimed epitaph "I did my best." And, interestingly, at a 1968 Operation Push gathering she related how a fellow white Southerner asked her why (arrested at a civil rights demonstration) she was inside [jail] with all those niggers? To which she replied "where else could poor white trash like me be greeted with respect by a Nobel Prize winner like Dr. King?"
The format of personal interviews of famous and mostly little known individuals, here reflecting on the topic of death, continues to work, although I found the subject matter of earlier volumes somewhat more to my interest. Still I found interviewees' views on life's end interesting, with more than I would have thought of a non-religious nature; and a surprising number that felt that this is it, that nothing really follows death.
re the title source: "Will the Circle be Unbroken" - an old hymn, first mentioned in a postscript to the Doc Watson interview.
"Fear of death is the basis of religion, because we can't imagine not existing.."
Robert Soeghan seemed on top of it with "It's a matter of living the best way you can and just preparing for the inevitable."
From a postscript on Peggy Terry, a woman from a poor Southern white klan background who became active in the Civil Rights movement, her self-proclaimed epitaph "I did my best." And, interestingly, at a 1968 Operation Push gathering she related how a fellow white Southerner asked her why (arrested at a civil rights demonstration) she was inside [jail] with all those niggers? To which she replied "where else could poor white trash like me be greeted with respect by a Nobel Prize winner like Dr. King?"
August 28, 2017
I've always loved Studs Terkel's books because he gives voice to ordinary people speaking about their personal experiences in a particular time and place. This subject is rather odd for him, though, because death is the one thing none of us have experienced but we all will at some indeterminate time in the future. Terkel interviews people who have seen death (e.g., doctors, soldiers, AIDS activists), who have had near-death experiences, who have grieved and come to terms with the the death of loved ones, ministers and others who find solace in their faith in God. Death is an uncomfortable subject. One of his interviewees reflects that in the nineteenth century people knew about and talked about death but never about sex. Now we've reversed it. "Death has become the new pornography. We don't talk about it.". But, "how can we envision our life, the one we now experience, unless we realize that it is finite?" Unless we recognize and acknowledge how little time we really have, it's easy to fritter it away on unimportant trivialities. One person came to the realization that it is death that is the given; life is a gift. That's a lesson I learned ten years ago (ten years already!) when I had cancer, but in the rush of life we can forget. I needed a refresher course.
June 30, 2024
Respectful of Different Beliefs
I found this book interesting and appreciate that the author, Studs Terkel was very kind to those he interviewed and showed respect for everyone's opinions as well as their spiritual beliefs. This is also what I try to do in general as I live my own life and have reached a certain maturity. I don't feel it is my place to judge what another person believes unless that belief is dangerous mentally or physically to a vulnerable person or downright illegal! Anything illegal obviously, I'd report to proper authorities.
The book definitely provides "food for thought" and I feel it also underscores the importance of figuring out what our own final wishes are and then making sure we have those important conversations so it doesn't come as a shock for our loved ones! Have your living will in place and make sure you appoint a medical power of attorney to carry out your wishes should you be unable to. Let your family know what your wishes are. This could prevent future disagreements, outright hard feelings and arguments or added heartache and stress!
I found this book interesting and appreciate that the author, Studs Terkel was very kind to those he interviewed and showed respect for everyone's opinions as well as their spiritual beliefs. This is also what I try to do in general as I live my own life and have reached a certain maturity. I don't feel it is my place to judge what another person believes unless that belief is dangerous mentally or physically to a vulnerable person or downright illegal! Anything illegal obviously, I'd report to proper authorities.
The book definitely provides "food for thought" and I feel it also underscores the importance of figuring out what our own final wishes are and then making sure we have those important conversations so it doesn't come as a shock for our loved ones! Have your living will in place and make sure you appoint a medical power of attorney to carry out your wishes should you be unable to. Let your family know what your wishes are. This could prevent future disagreements, outright hard feelings and arguments or added heartache and stress!
August 14, 2023
If you're familiar with Studs Terkel's oeuvre generally, this fits in with works Coming of Age more so than Working. He does interview a lot of people who he talked to before, but it is much more tilted towards folks who are "significant" in some way, ones you are more likely to have heard of. Terkel is still fantastic at getting people to expound on their beliefs about very intimate subjects, in this case death and the afterlife. There is, to me, something missing though when it seems less like the person talking really could be ANYONE.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken is a moving book nonetheless. If you have any sort of concrete beliefs you will, at least in a literal sense, disagree with what most of the people interviewed have to say about the hereafter. That is not really the point. The compassion for fellow humans in the face of the greatest equalizer is evident in Terkel's approach, and it is hard not to feel a great sense of solidarity, even with strangers from reading this book.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken is a moving book nonetheless. If you have any sort of concrete beliefs you will, at least in a literal sense, disagree with what most of the people interviewed have to say about the hereafter. That is not really the point. The compassion for fellow humans in the face of the greatest equalizer is evident in Terkel's approach, and it is hard not to feel a great sense of solidarity, even with strangers from reading this book.
January 28, 2022
Studs Terkel is really good at this Oral History thing, there's some really effecting stories in here from the perspective of cops, social workers, nurses, doctors, hospice workers, firefighters, undertakers, Hiroshima survivors, AIDS caseworkers and the like. He spoke with Kurt Vonnegut, but it's mostly ordinary folk. He's a much more active presence in the text than somebody like Svetlana Alexievich in terms of getting to see how the interviews play out. He's got a real salt-of-the-earth vibe to him that I know some people I know would get a real kick out of. Excited to read Hard Times or The Good War after this.
The stuff that stuck with me the most is the interviews from the nurses and paramedics he collects, both of my parents work as nurses in big hospitals, every other week or so mum comes home and tells me about some heinous medical emergency that happened while she was working, which I can only imagine takes massive amounts of guts and nerve to get through unscathed.
The stuff that stuck with me the most is the interviews from the nurses and paramedics he collects, both of my parents work as nurses in big hospitals, every other week or so mum comes home and tells me about some heinous medical emergency that happened while she was working, which I can only imagine takes massive amounts of guts and nerve to get through unscathed.
March 25, 2025
It's been many years since I read a Studs Terkel book. In my youth, I read his book Working and the Good War. Terkel was a legendary Chicago journalist, and the master of recording oral history. At first, this book sounds like it would be a tough read, depressing. But, somehow, it is really uplifting. It's a remarkable book filled with life changing philosophy. There are a few famous people in the book, and some real surprises. Emmett Till's mother was a remarkable and unexpected inclusion. It is truly an astonishing book, and one that deserves to be read by everyone. Terkel wrote this book when he was in his 90's. He was just as good as ever. I will definitely read the rest of his books.
January 14, 2022
The first book I have read by this author, and it won't be the last - I've already purchased a copy of Working. Reminded me of Tony Parker, as they are both very skillful in asking good questions and letting their interviewees take centre stage. I loved hearing from a wide range of "ordinary" people about their experiences of, and thoughts on death. I usually find that books about death, are also very much books about life, and what it means to be human. It's probably best to just read a few stories at a time, as it can get quite intense and heavy going at times, although, overall, I came away feeling comforted and uplifted.
January 29, 2018
I began reading this book shortly after my mother passed away in the hope that its many accounts of individual experiences of death might help me in my grief and difficulty in accepting her loss. At first I struggled with the book’s American context. I could not relate to the many accounts of premature death by violence through war or crime, which came across as an American’s normal experience of death. But I persevered and eventually found myself moved by the many human stories. Still, I did not find much comfort in coping with my own loss, largely because these accounts offer little in the way of spiritual insight or depth.
June 17, 2024
Terkel is a prolific, and aged, author.
In it, he records other people's views on death, written as transcribed from a verbal interview. Fascinating.
Coincidentally, while I was reading this my husband sent me a link to a website of Christopher Hitchens' political commentaries -- he knows I like Hitchens. In browsing them, I ran across public correspondence between Hitchens, Terkel and The Nation (newspaper/magazine) about a falling out between them all.
In it, he records other people's views on death, written as transcribed from a verbal interview. Fascinating.
Coincidentally, while I was reading this my husband sent me a link to a website of Christopher Hitchens' political commentaries -- he knows I like Hitchens. In browsing them, I ran across public correspondence between Hitchens, Terkel and The Nation (newspaper/magazine) about a falling out between them all.
May 9, 2025
This is one of those books that sticks with you. I’ve always liked how Studs Terkel talks to such a wide range of people, famous folks, sure, but also just regular people with powerful stories. Hearing everyone’s take on death, from the practical to the poetic, was really moving. Some parts are heavy, others unexpectedly funny, but it all feels honest. It reminded me how differently people process loss—and how similar we all are, in the end.
June 16, 2025
I love this interview-style approach that Terkel does. I find it so powerful to hear people’s stories and perspectives, especially on death, spirituality, and faith. Some of the people he interviewed are people he interviewed for “Working” and I like the callbacks he makes. The individuals in this book are vulnerable enough to share their honest opinions and beliefs, which I find refreshing and inspiring. 10/10. Definitely recommend.
December 1, 2019
You can't really go wrong with Studs Terkel's work if you are interested in hearing the voices and experiences of real people. This volume was written near the end of his life and, perhaps unsurprisingly, reflects on death, rebirth and faith. The AIDS epidemic figures prominently in stories, something that made me remember how terrible that was, and how far we have come.
November 11, 2021
I read this book shortly after it came out (when I lived in a city that had a "real" library) and have now revisited it when I'm closer and closer to death. It was just as moving today as it was before. It's interesting that AIDS was the plague then and COVID is the plague today. I wonder what would be said by people today. Well worth the read and the re-read.
May 17, 2017
This book is meant to be read a little at a time, not straight through. Once I realized that I enjoyed it a lot more. Many special moments but hearing Emmett Tills mom say "If Jesus Christ died for our sins, Emmett Till bore our prejudices" really stuck to me.
July 26, 2020
Typically Terkel—which is to say “wonderful”
With this book, as with the other books of his that I have read, I have the sense of actually knowing the people he interviews. I am so impressed with his lack of judgement—bordering on love—that seems to permeate his interviews.
With this book, as with the other books of his that I have read, I have the sense of actually knowing the people he interviews. I am so impressed with his lack of judgement—bordering on love—that seems to permeate his interviews.
August 24, 2021
Will Open Your Mind and Your Eyes
What a great cross section of interesting people and their stories and how they view the theme of the book. You will close this book with a different viewpoint from when you started it.
What a great cross section of interesting people and their stories and how they view the theme of the book. You will close this book with a different viewpoint from when you started it.
June 9, 2018
this book was beyond fascinating. I loved the variety of stories and reflections from varied backgrounds
Read
June 15, 2019turned out to be more verbatim than i liked
December 13, 2019
Maybe he can't do it.
Maybe he can't bring himself to believe for himself. I can see God's love in his writing. Maybe he and Jesus are editing some stories together.
Maybe he can't bring himself to believe for himself. I can see God's love in his writing. Maybe he and Jesus are editing some stories together.
January 3, 2020
Very inspiring and hugely diverse set of people who were interviewed. Religious and non-religious views that doesn't try to sway you. Good one.
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