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The Call to the Far Shore: Carrying Our Loved Ones through Dying, Death, and Beyond
• Explores how to carry our loved ones through death, how to honor their bodies and spirits, and how to awaken to the ever-present help of our ancestors
• Reveals the healing and closure that can be brought about through the process of washing and preparing a body for a home vigil or funeral
• Offers guidance on advance-care planning, grieving, and forgiveness as well as green burial
Having become disconnected from the natural cycles of life, we have lost the fundamental knowing of what death looks like, and fear fills the void. How can we transform our fears surrounding death and be with the dying more fully and more consciously?
Through her work with the dying, Nancy MacMillan reveals the very real imaginal world where nature, myth, dreams, ancestors, and those yet to be born whisper from the far shore, a place beyond our last breath. She reminds us that caring for our dying consciously is a transformative act, radical even, in restoring meaning to our place and purpose in the universe. She explores how to carry our loved ones through death, how to honor their bodies and spirits, and how to awaken to the ever-present help of our ancestors. She shows how the practice of caring for the dead can help both those grieving and the newly dead, and she reveals how healing and closure can be brought about through the process of washing and preparing a body for a home vigil or funeral—a ritual she provided for her own mother.
Sharing personal stories, Nancy offers guidance on advance-care planning, grieving, and forgiveness as well as green burial. Through her own close encounters with the specter of death, the author shows how to follow the ancient wisdom of “learning to die before you die” and find a seaworthy passage to our far shore.
• Reveals the healing and closure that can be brought about through the process of washing and preparing a body for a home vigil or funeral
• Offers guidance on advance-care planning, grieving, and forgiveness as well as green burial
Having become disconnected from the natural cycles of life, we have lost the fundamental knowing of what death looks like, and fear fills the void. How can we transform our fears surrounding death and be with the dying more fully and more consciously?
Through her work with the dying, Nancy MacMillan reveals the very real imaginal world where nature, myth, dreams, ancestors, and those yet to be born whisper from the far shore, a place beyond our last breath. She reminds us that caring for our dying consciously is a transformative act, radical even, in restoring meaning to our place and purpose in the universe. She explores how to carry our loved ones through death, how to honor their bodies and spirits, and how to awaken to the ever-present help of our ancestors. She shows how the practice of caring for the dead can help both those grieving and the newly dead, and she reveals how healing and closure can be brought about through the process of washing and preparing a body for a home vigil or funeral—a ritual she provided for her own mother.
Sharing personal stories, Nancy offers guidance on advance-care planning, grieving, and forgiveness as well as green burial. Through her own close encounters with the specter of death, the author shows how to follow the ancient wisdom of “learning to die before you die” and find a seaworthy passage to our far shore.
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 8, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 21, 2025
I am only a few pages into this book and have realized that I need to buy a copy so I can mark pages and take notes, what a gem of a book. I can't wait to learn from Nancy's wisdom and experience.
May 26, 2025
This beautiful and deeply moving book is rich with wisdom and spiritual insight, inviting us—gently but profoundly—to reflect on themes we too often avoid: our own mortality and the reality of death. With grace and clarity, Nancy offers a fresh and compassionate perspective, drawing from her personal journey as she accompanied her mother through the final stages of life.
Her reflections will resonate deeply with anyone who has cared for a loved one in their last days, offering not only emotional comfort but also practical guidance. I was especially struck by the nuanced understanding she provides of what the end-of-life experience might feel like from the perspective of the dying—an understanding that is essential for those who wish to offer true presence and support in such sacred moments. The book also encourages readers to thoughtfully consider and plan for their own final days.
At its heart, this is also a book about life: about the power of relationships and the need for open, honest, and vulnerable communication throughout our time on earth. As themes like love, forgiveness, and gratitude take center stage at the end of life, Nancy reminds us that these are not last-minute concerns—they are the very essence of what makes life meaningful, and they deserve our attention now.
This is a must-read for anyone accompanying a loved one "heeding the call to the far shore," as well as for anyone—ultimately, all of us—who will one day face their own death.
Her reflections will resonate deeply with anyone who has cared for a loved one in their last days, offering not only emotional comfort but also practical guidance. I was especially struck by the nuanced understanding she provides of what the end-of-life experience might feel like from the perspective of the dying—an understanding that is essential for those who wish to offer true presence and support in such sacred moments. The book also encourages readers to thoughtfully consider and plan for their own final days.
At its heart, this is also a book about life: about the power of relationships and the need for open, honest, and vulnerable communication throughout our time on earth. As themes like love, forgiveness, and gratitude take center stage at the end of life, Nancy reminds us that these are not last-minute concerns—they are the very essence of what makes life meaningful, and they deserve our attention now.
This is a must-read for anyone accompanying a loved one "heeding the call to the far shore," as well as for anyone—ultimately, all of us—who will one day face their own death.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews