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Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper
"An ideal guidebook to facing the inevitable." Foreword Reviews
After her brother died unexpectedly and her mother moved into a dementia-care facility, spiritual travel writer and Episcopal deacon Lori Erickson felt called to a new quest: to face death head on, with the eye of a tourist and the heart of a pastor. Blending memoir, spirituality, and travel, Near the Exit examines how cultures confront and have confronted death, from Egypt's Valley of the Kings and Mayan temples, to a Colorado cremation pyre and Day of the Dead celebrations, to Maori settlements and tourist-destination graveyards. Erickson reflects on mortalityâ€"the ways we avoid it, the ways we cope with it, and the ways life is made more precious by accepting itâ€"in places as far away as New Zealand and as close as the nursing home up the street. Throughout her personal journey and her travels, Erickson  helps us to see that one of the most life-affirming things we can do is to invite death along for the ride.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 13, 2019
24 people are currently reading
1604 people want to read
About the author
Lori Erickson
17 books62 followersLori Erickson is one of America’s top travel writers specializing in spiritual journeys.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
November 2, 2019
Not very inclusive...
This book is a travel memoir that is supposed to explain the effects of death and dying throughout different cultures in the world.
I'm going to be one of the odd men out here. I started to enjoy this book but the constant reminder that the author is of a Christian religion really makes you look at the practices of different cultures in the wrong light. Referring to some of these practices as "icky" and the like, is truly a medieval and indeed barbaric way to describe such things. Some of these instances irritated me and others downright pissed me off.
I understand that the majority of her audience that is reading this book is from a Western culture, however you cannot be so uninclusive and so presumptuous as to think that some of the audience of this book is going to not be of the Christian religion. I mean, you simply cannot just write a book about death and dying and tilt it towards one singular religion and not piss a few people off. That's it, that's all I have to say on the matter.
There are also a few inaccuracies that I caught in the book. I won't list them out, but I feel as if the book was researched enough to write a book but not researched to the point where it is correct.
The author does a good job in describing her own musings but that is nearly the only thing that I like about this book.
This book is a travel memoir that is supposed to explain the effects of death and dying throughout different cultures in the world.
I'm going to be one of the odd men out here. I started to enjoy this book but the constant reminder that the author is of a Christian religion really makes you look at the practices of different cultures in the wrong light. Referring to some of these practices as "icky" and the like, is truly a medieval and indeed barbaric way to describe such things. Some of these instances irritated me and others downright pissed me off.
I understand that the majority of her audience that is reading this book is from a Western culture, however you cannot be so uninclusive and so presumptuous as to think that some of the audience of this book is going to not be of the Christian religion. I mean, you simply cannot just write a book about death and dying and tilt it towards one singular religion and not piss a few people off. That's it, that's all I have to say on the matter.
There are also a few inaccuracies that I caught in the book. I won't list them out, but I feel as if the book was researched enough to write a book but not researched to the point where it is correct.
The author does a good job in describing her own musings but that is nearly the only thing that I like about this book.
December 11, 2019
(3.5) Erickson’s tour through death rituals around the world has the misfortune of being that little bit too similar to Caitlin Doughty’s From Here to Eternity. For instance, both authors visit Crestone, Colorado’s open funeral pyre, and discuss the practice of keeping corpses in the home in Sulawesi, Indonesia. What makes Erickson’s book different is her focus on religion: she’s a deacon in the Episcopal Church and often writes about pilgrimages, e.g. in Holy Rover, so she’s interested in how faith affects our preparations for death.
Along with her travels – to Mayan and Aztec temples in Mexico, among the Maori people of New Zealand, to Assisi, and so on – she remains close to home to look at how people deal with death in middle America (she’s from Iowa). She writes about hospice, nursing homes, funeral parlors and graveyards, drawing on her own experience of her father’s death and her mother’s dementia. It’s a thought-provoking book, but also a surprisingly pleasant one given the subject matter, and so would make a good introduction to the contemplation of death for religious folk.
This section stood out most for me:
“Buddhism, more than any other tradition, sees meditation on our Final Exit as a uniquely powerful form of spiritual practice.” – The Five Remembrances begin with: “I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old. I am of the nature to have ill-health. There is no way to escape having ill-health. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.”
I think these could be useful mantras to repeat to myself if I’m ever tempted to ask, why?
Along with her travels – to Mayan and Aztec temples in Mexico, among the Maori people of New Zealand, to Assisi, and so on – she remains close to home to look at how people deal with death in middle America (she’s from Iowa). She writes about hospice, nursing homes, funeral parlors and graveyards, drawing on her own experience of her father’s death and her mother’s dementia. It’s a thought-provoking book, but also a surprisingly pleasant one given the subject matter, and so would make a good introduction to the contemplation of death for religious folk.
This section stood out most for me:
“Buddhism, more than any other tradition, sees meditation on our Final Exit as a uniquely powerful form of spiritual practice.” – The Five Remembrances begin with: “I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old. I am of the nature to have ill-health. There is no way to escape having ill-health. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.”
I think these could be useful mantras to repeat to myself if I’m ever tempted to ask, why?
August 8, 2019
Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
I loved this book. I have been interested in exploring death since I lost my parents in 2003 and 2010. Having written a spiritual memoir about grief, I was very interested in what Lori Erickson had to say. I have known of Lori since the days of her Holy Rover blog (and she was kind enough to review my book) and have always enjoyed her writing. As a decided homebody, I do my "traveling" through her writing.
I appreciated the chapters dedicated to her travels to places associated with death. She covered the Mexican Day of the Dead (the theme of which permeates throughout the book), the pyramids of Egypt, the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, the Maori of New Zealand, and Rome and Assisi. In the United States, she visited Crestone, Colorado, an ecumenical cremation burial ground out in the middle of nowhere (this place intrigued me the most). I enjoyed Erickson's candor and wit in her assessment of these fascinating places -- never overbearing but just a line or two whispered to us readers on how she viewed the situation.
The chapters that most resonated with me were the ones that mirrored my life experience: the nursing home, hospice, the funeral and graveyards. Erickson's thoughts on the nursing home experience were especially insightful, and helpful for those of us who have been-there, are still-there or have done-that. Erickson's father died in a nursing home after living there for several years, and currently her mother is in the memory unit of a home.
Her description of her grief journey at the sudden loss of her brother (which occurred the same week that she had to place her mother in the nursing home) plus friends over the years reaffirmed my belief in the power, creativity and mystery of grief -- nothing is more baffling or transforming. As a deacon in the Episcopal Church, Erickson is well versed in the theology of death -- that knowledge coupled with the wisdom from her own experience make for compelling reading.
Far from being depressing or morbid, this book is poignant, entertaining and a valuable reminder that we all must someday come to grips with our final exit. I highly recommend it.
I loved this book. I have been interested in exploring death since I lost my parents in 2003 and 2010. Having written a spiritual memoir about grief, I was very interested in what Lori Erickson had to say. I have known of Lori since the days of her Holy Rover blog (and she was kind enough to review my book) and have always enjoyed her writing. As a decided homebody, I do my "traveling" through her writing.
I appreciated the chapters dedicated to her travels to places associated with death. She covered the Mexican Day of the Dead (the theme of which permeates throughout the book), the pyramids of Egypt, the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, the Maori of New Zealand, and Rome and Assisi. In the United States, she visited Crestone, Colorado, an ecumenical cremation burial ground out in the middle of nowhere (this place intrigued me the most). I enjoyed Erickson's candor and wit in her assessment of these fascinating places -- never overbearing but just a line or two whispered to us readers on how she viewed the situation.
The chapters that most resonated with me were the ones that mirrored my life experience: the nursing home, hospice, the funeral and graveyards. Erickson's thoughts on the nursing home experience were especially insightful, and helpful for those of us who have been-there, are still-there or have done-that. Erickson's father died in a nursing home after living there for several years, and currently her mother is in the memory unit of a home.
Her description of her grief journey at the sudden loss of her brother (which occurred the same week that she had to place her mother in the nursing home) plus friends over the years reaffirmed my belief in the power, creativity and mystery of grief -- nothing is more baffling or transforming. As a deacon in the Episcopal Church, Erickson is well versed in the theology of death -- that knowledge coupled with the wisdom from her own experience make for compelling reading.
Far from being depressing or morbid, this book is poignant, entertaining and a valuable reminder that we all must someday come to grips with our final exit. I highly recommend it.
March 21, 2020
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I chose this book not knowing it was going to completely change me. The author talks about many cultural death rituals that I found fascinating. I’ve always had the experience of death being a scary, sad affair. It’s impressed me to re-evaluate my fears and consider my emotional view. I have a Christian world view, but I still struggle deeply with death and dying. It makes me uncomfortable.
I was most moved by her story about her mother in a nursing home and the death and dying workshops she attended. Wow! I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a support group with both topics and soaked up all the information like a sponge. I’m even going to attend a workshop myself now that I know more about it.
I highly recommend this book and thought the author did an excellent job. The writing was very good.
A quote from the book: “I’m grateful to have made the acquaintance of death in a variety of forms, peculiar as that may sound. In a society where dying is so removed from most people’s lives, we lose the chance to become familiar with its outlines and psychic shape. Familiarity can bring understanding, and maybe a little less fear of the inevitable.”
This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own. Thank you for reading my honest review.
I chose this book not knowing it was going to completely change me. The author talks about many cultural death rituals that I found fascinating. I’ve always had the experience of death being a scary, sad affair. It’s impressed me to re-evaluate my fears and consider my emotional view. I have a Christian world view, but I still struggle deeply with death and dying. It makes me uncomfortable.
I was most moved by her story about her mother in a nursing home and the death and dying workshops she attended. Wow! I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a support group with both topics and soaked up all the information like a sponge. I’m even going to attend a workshop myself now that I know more about it.
I highly recommend this book and thought the author did an excellent job. The writing was very good.
A quote from the book: “I’m grateful to have made the acquaintance of death in a variety of forms, peculiar as that may sound. In a society where dying is so removed from most people’s lives, we lose the chance to become familiar with its outlines and psychic shape. Familiarity can bring understanding, and maybe a little less fear of the inevitable.”
This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own. Thank you for reading my honest review.
August 12, 2019
Ths moving, entertaining, and thoughtful narrative weaves personal memoir, travel, history and spiritual conversations into a fascinating journey into experiences both personal and cultural of our encounters with aging, dying, and death. The visit with the Maoris in New Zealand is awesome, revealing an enviable depth and wisdom in this culture, while visits to Mayan, Incan, and Egyptian antiquities explore the complexity of our attempts to deal as cultures with the place of death in our lives. The personal story of Lori's relationship with her aging mother grounds us in our own time and place, reminding us that we all share in these elemental transitions in our lives. I am recommending it to my book club. I received an advance copy of the book from WLK Books in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2019
A place none of us want to go, few of us are prepared to go, but we are all going to go- our exit from this life. Lori Erickson, in Near the Exit, Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper, is an entertaining yet
challenging look at how different peoples and cultures have done this journey. From tattoos among the Maori, altars for the Dead in Chicago, a funeral home, a funeral pyre in Colorado, to the Sacred Stone Circle in Iowa City, she explores the sense of each place and practice. The most touching image to me
was Lori and her mother, walking down the hall in the care center, holding hands and just loving and trusting each other in the walk. I know that is how I would want it to be.
I laughed, learned a lot, made notes of places to go and see and just couldn’t wait to turn the next page.
This book was a great read and a thoughtful companion as I ponder what the end journey might be.
Mary Routh
I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
challenging look at how different peoples and cultures have done this journey. From tattoos among the Maori, altars for the Dead in Chicago, a funeral home, a funeral pyre in Colorado, to the Sacred Stone Circle in Iowa City, she explores the sense of each place and practice. The most touching image to me
was Lori and her mother, walking down the hall in the care center, holding hands and just loving and trusting each other in the walk. I know that is how I would want it to be.
I laughed, learned a lot, made notes of places to go and see and just couldn’t wait to turn the next page.
This book was a great read and a thoughtful companion as I ponder what the end journey might be.
Mary Routh
I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 13, 2019
A therapist friend told Lori that “if you avoid something important, you invest it with a tremendous amount of energy.” In Near the Exit, her journey through the shadowlands helps her address mortality head on, giving death and the culture surrounding it the attention it deserves. Lori takes the reader with her on a cathartic and memorable adventure, touching on death lore and ceremony from the ancient Aztecs and Egyptians to a nursing home in the modern Midwest. Her gifts as a travel writer compliment her-no nonsense approach to matters of life and death, learned in the front lines of service as an Episcopal deacon. The result is the opportunity to experience a variety of cultures with a wise and funny friend.
I received an advance reading copy from Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest review.
I received an advance reading copy from Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest review.
July 22, 2019
In reading Lori Erickson’s Near the Exit I was blessed to experience a reprise of sorts of conversations I had with my oldest, but way-to-young sister in the months before she died in my home with hospice care. Like Erickson’s book, these meandering dialogues were tender, deep, mysterious, tinged (sometimes overflowing) with grief, and often delightfully irreverent. Truly a gift, both in life and in print.
Maybe the most enticing thing I took away from Near the Exit was Erickson’s encouragement to commune more consciously and constantly with Sister Death, with “Sister” being the shimmering word in that new-to-me moniker.
Reading Near the Exit also took me back to the weeks I spent hanging out on Death’s “front porch” after a massive pulmonary embolism some years ago. During that time, I came to realize on my own some of the transformative life-and-death insights Erickson and her traveling guides and death tutors suggest throughout this Iowa-subtle but very wise book.
Most importantly, in both my own “front porch” experience and in Lori Erickson’s writing, what I encountered most profoundly is Love. The Love that inspirits and unites everything that exists, including Life and Death, and most certainly all of us all the time, would we just pay attention. While the love Erickson shares through the stories she tells about the diverse people and cultures in Near the Exit is most immediately human and personal, the fullness of Love embodied in Erickson’s writing is in itself a shining revelation of our Source. The Living Word, indeed!
I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest review.
Dorothy Whiston is a spiritual director and retired pastor who lives in Iowa City, IA, and spends as much of the summer as possible in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming.
Maybe the most enticing thing I took away from Near the Exit was Erickson’s encouragement to commune more consciously and constantly with Sister Death, with “Sister” being the shimmering word in that new-to-me moniker.
Reading Near the Exit also took me back to the weeks I spent hanging out on Death’s “front porch” after a massive pulmonary embolism some years ago. During that time, I came to realize on my own some of the transformative life-and-death insights Erickson and her traveling guides and death tutors suggest throughout this Iowa-subtle but very wise book.
Most importantly, in both my own “front porch” experience and in Lori Erickson’s writing, what I encountered most profoundly is Love. The Love that inspirits and unites everything that exists, including Life and Death, and most certainly all of us all the time, would we just pay attention. While the love Erickson shares through the stories she tells about the diverse people and cultures in Near the Exit is most immediately human and personal, the fullness of Love embodied in Erickson’s writing is in itself a shining revelation of our Source. The Living Word, indeed!
I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest review.
Dorothy Whiston is a spiritual director and retired pastor who lives in Iowa City, IA, and spends as much of the summer as possible in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming.
May 12, 2022
Probably not the best selection for right now, but it was oddly comforting and have given me ideas and a way to process my thoughts. However, the audiobook was not edited and she clears her throat and restarts a few times
April 28, 2019
Is it possible to become comfortable with the thought of one's own death? Lori Erickson sets out on a fantastic voyage to explore the answer and, best of all, we get to go with her. From the depths of Egypt's Great Pyramids to the wide-open spiritual expanse that is Crestone, Colorado, Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper shows us it is possible to not only chart the landscape of mortality, but also to make it gloriously our own. A hopeful and inspiring book.
October 26, 2019
Maybe it's the fact I'm growing older or maybe it's because as a pastor of a congregation that is on the older side, but questions of death and its meaning interest me. I'm fairly traditional in my views, embracing traditional understandings of the bodily resurrection (with a universalist bent). What fascinates me is the fact that despite differences of view of the exit from this life, most religions and cultures have some sense that there is more to life than what meets the eye. That is, we may envision death and its aftermath differently, but most cultures affirm the premise that there is something lying on the other side of the grave. For the most part, this gives us comfort, though not always.
It is with this background that I approached Lori Erickson's book "Near the Exit." The exit referred to here is death, and she writes for those who live on the near side of the exit, whether getting close or not. Erickson is an Episcopal deacon and a travel writer who specials in spiritually-related destinations. We might call these pilgrimage sites.
In this book, she takes on a journey to places where death is lifted up in some way. She starts with her visit to a Day of the Dead observance in Chicago. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican observance that occurs on the first two days of November (All Saints and All Souls Days). On these days, she notes, the dead are believed to return for a visit. She tells us that her visit to this observance came shortly after her mother entered a nursing home with dementia and then four days later the death of her brother of a heart attack. What she discovered in this celebration in the midst of her own melancholy was "a burst of brilliant color." She writes that she had been drawn to this event because she needed a "tutorial in death." This event served as an invitation to learn more about death (p. 3). Thus the journey begins.
The book's subtitle is intriguing. "Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper." In her journey, she comes to understand that death is everpresent and not necessarily the enemy, though Paul would disagree. For her, the book "is about places that have helped me come to terms with death, sites that have made me view it not with dread but with acceptance, and even a measure of comfort and curiosity." (p. 5). As we progress through this journey, Erickson has in mind her mother's nearness to death and her brother's death. They are the key to her own journey toward acceptance and comfort, as she plumbs the depths of different visions of death and its aftermath.
The journey begins in Egypt, with the Great Pyramids of Giza, with its attempts at preserving the body through mummification for the journey into the afterlife. She writes that viewing the mummies led her to look for alternatives to keeping her body intact (she reveals her decision for cremation). From Giza, we move to nursing homes, which she calls "God's Waiting Room." Here she explores her mother's realities with dementia and the nearness of death. In this chapter, she reveals her visit to an Angel Reader who attempts to delve beyond the veil of death. Whether one believes in such things is for the reader to decide (and not the reviewer who tends to be skeptical of such things).
Chapter 3 takes us to New Zealand and the Maori veneration of their ancestors---leading to the question of how we might honor the memories of our ancestors. This chapter is followed by one titled "entering the shadowlands" that explores the hospice movement and the conversations we tend to avoid. Perhaps you're seeing a pattern here -- travels leading to more personal conversations. The next journey takes us to Mexico and the understandings of death among the Aztecs and the Mayans (remembering that the Aztecs were known for their practice of human sacrifice). She shares that upon her visit to the Mayan people she was informed that their practices were more metaphorical than literal (we do have our ways of revising our histories).
Chapter 6 brings us closer to home. Titled "Crossing the Jordan," this is a chapter on funerals, something clergy have some experience with. The practical moves us to another visit -- the cremation grounds in Crestone, Colorado -- a spot known as a pilgrimage site. We get to learn about the interest in this spot, and a Zen Buddhist who engages in cremation. Nursing homes, hospice, funerals, cremation -- all aspects of our need to address the realities of death and its approach. That leads us to a chapter on graveyards (cemeteries) and the way we use them and decorate them and visit them. Another intriguing chapter.
Chapter 9 takes us first to the Necropolis of Rome --- the tombs that lie beneath St. Peter's and the supposed location of Peter's bones (you must decide for yourself as to their validity). From there we travel to Assisi, where we hear about St. Francis in life and in death. We learn that Francis spoke of death as "Sister Death." Francis welcomed Sister Death. Her take on what she saw in Assisi is that for Francism the message is "have no fear" ... "Death is part of the family." (p. 156). This leads us to the epilogue, to Erickson's encounters with her mother and her own thoughts about mortality and its meaning.
It's an interesting book. She states upfront that though and Episcopal deacon she's not all that interested in theological precision. Her interests are more esoteric. She approaches this conversation from a personal perspective that is rooted in her vocation as a travel writer who specializes in spiritual destinations. She takes on a journey to places we may never have visited, but the journey could be enlightening -- you be the judge. Oh, and yes the book is engaging and approachable for all.
It is with this background that I approached Lori Erickson's book "Near the Exit." The exit referred to here is death, and she writes for those who live on the near side of the exit, whether getting close or not. Erickson is an Episcopal deacon and a travel writer who specials in spiritually-related destinations. We might call these pilgrimage sites.
In this book, she takes on a journey to places where death is lifted up in some way. She starts with her visit to a Day of the Dead observance in Chicago. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican observance that occurs on the first two days of November (All Saints and All Souls Days). On these days, she notes, the dead are believed to return for a visit. She tells us that her visit to this observance came shortly after her mother entered a nursing home with dementia and then four days later the death of her brother of a heart attack. What she discovered in this celebration in the midst of her own melancholy was "a burst of brilliant color." She writes that she had been drawn to this event because she needed a "tutorial in death." This event served as an invitation to learn more about death (p. 3). Thus the journey begins.
The book's subtitle is intriguing. "Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper." In her journey, she comes to understand that death is everpresent and not necessarily the enemy, though Paul would disagree. For her, the book "is about places that have helped me come to terms with death, sites that have made me view it not with dread but with acceptance, and even a measure of comfort and curiosity." (p. 5). As we progress through this journey, Erickson has in mind her mother's nearness to death and her brother's death. They are the key to her own journey toward acceptance and comfort, as she plumbs the depths of different visions of death and its aftermath.
The journey begins in Egypt, with the Great Pyramids of Giza, with its attempts at preserving the body through mummification for the journey into the afterlife. She writes that viewing the mummies led her to look for alternatives to keeping her body intact (she reveals her decision for cremation). From Giza, we move to nursing homes, which she calls "God's Waiting Room." Here she explores her mother's realities with dementia and the nearness of death. In this chapter, she reveals her visit to an Angel Reader who attempts to delve beyond the veil of death. Whether one believes in such things is for the reader to decide (and not the reviewer who tends to be skeptical of such things).
Chapter 3 takes us to New Zealand and the Maori veneration of their ancestors---leading to the question of how we might honor the memories of our ancestors. This chapter is followed by one titled "entering the shadowlands" that explores the hospice movement and the conversations we tend to avoid. Perhaps you're seeing a pattern here -- travels leading to more personal conversations. The next journey takes us to Mexico and the understandings of death among the Aztecs and the Mayans (remembering that the Aztecs were known for their practice of human sacrifice). She shares that upon her visit to the Mayan people she was informed that their practices were more metaphorical than literal (we do have our ways of revising our histories).
Chapter 6 brings us closer to home. Titled "Crossing the Jordan," this is a chapter on funerals, something clergy have some experience with. The practical moves us to another visit -- the cremation grounds in Crestone, Colorado -- a spot known as a pilgrimage site. We get to learn about the interest in this spot, and a Zen Buddhist who engages in cremation. Nursing homes, hospice, funerals, cremation -- all aspects of our need to address the realities of death and its approach. That leads us to a chapter on graveyards (cemeteries) and the way we use them and decorate them and visit them. Another intriguing chapter.
Chapter 9 takes us first to the Necropolis of Rome --- the tombs that lie beneath St. Peter's and the supposed location of Peter's bones (you must decide for yourself as to their validity). From there we travel to Assisi, where we hear about St. Francis in life and in death. We learn that Francis spoke of death as "Sister Death." Francis welcomed Sister Death. Her take on what she saw in Assisi is that for Francism the message is "have no fear" ... "Death is part of the family." (p. 156). This leads us to the epilogue, to Erickson's encounters with her mother and her own thoughts about mortality and its meaning.
It's an interesting book. She states upfront that though and Episcopal deacon she's not all that interested in theological precision. Her interests are more esoteric. She approaches this conversation from a personal perspective that is rooted in her vocation as a travel writer who specializes in spiritual destinations. She takes on a journey to places we may never have visited, but the journey could be enlightening -- you be the judge. Oh, and yes the book is engaging and approachable for all.
September 2, 2019
Lori Erickson's book, unfortunately lacks focus. She and/or her editor needed to decide if this book was about the history about the Day of the Dead celebrations, a guide to cultural practices regarding death around the world, or the author's own musings about death.
All of those things hodgepodged together didn't work to make an engaging book.
I was provided and advanced copy for my review.
#NearTheExit #NetGalley
All of those things hodgepodged together didn't work to make an engaging book.
I was provided and advanced copy for my review.
#NearTheExit #NetGalley
May 12, 2019
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley!
The author has a background of a deacon, but the book isn't religious at all. The book absolutely made me wonder what happens after we die.
The book touches upon life/death/afterlife tradidiotns in a variety of places.
informative and interesting
Thanks NetGalley!
The author has a background of a deacon, but the book isn't religious at all. The book absolutely made me wonder what happens after we die.
The book touches upon life/death/afterlife tradidiotns in a variety of places.
informative and interesting
August 6, 2019
In an exchange for an honest review, I received a free copy of Lori Erickson’s Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-so-Grim Reaper from Westminster John Knox Press. As I read it, I was curious about whether Erickson would pull off what she delivered in Holy Rover: Journeys in Search of Mystery, Miracles, and God (Fortress Press, 2017): a blend of fascinating information gathered during her travels; poignant stories from her own experiences as an Episcopalian deacon and healing touch practitioner; a writer, wife, mother, and friend; and an irreverent sense of humor. I was not disappointed.
In Near the Exit, Erickson describes travels to places that have helped her come to terms with death with acceptance and “even a measure of comfort and curiosity.” Each travel chapter is followed by chapters about universal places like nursing homes, funerals, and graveyards. Throughout, Erickson muses about her own efforts to recover from loss, including deaths of several close friends and her mother’s entry into a nursing home with dementia followed only four days later by her 59-year-old brother’s death from a heart attack.
In Erickson’s first chapter, “In the Field of Reeds: Egypt,” she takes us to the interior of one of the Great Pyramids at Giza, where she tries not to think about “the fact that the pyramids were built thousands of years before the advent of building codes.” She ends the chapter with a discussion of mummification and the way the practice made even pharaohs who ruled millions for decades look pitiful. “To echo the wisdom of the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, these guys aren’t merely dead: they’re most sincerely dead.”
In the chapter that follows, “God’s Waiting Room: Nursing Homes,” Erickson takes us to her mother’s nursing home and discusses the Buddhist spiritual practice of meditating on death as a tool toward enlightenment. The Buddha would feel right at home there, Erickson notes, “full of compassion for the residents with their halting gaits, blurred vision, and trembling hands.” Following this tender moment, she quips that “in the memory care unit of my mother’s Lutheran nursing home, the residents wouldn’t be surprised at all to be chatting with a robed Buddhist monk.”
Other pairings include the indigenous people of Maori in New Zealand with a chapter on Hospice; Mayan temples with funerals; and spiritual sites near Crestone, Colorado with graveyards. This mixing of beautifully described travel adventures with generously shared, intimate musings about things spiritual is one of Lori Erickson’s literary trademarks. Her wicked humor with its well-timed punch lines is another.
As with Holy Rover, I finished Near the Exit not only wanting to go more places myself, but also wanting to do more armchair travel with Lori Erickson as my guide.
In Near the Exit, Erickson describes travels to places that have helped her come to terms with death with acceptance and “even a measure of comfort and curiosity.” Each travel chapter is followed by chapters about universal places like nursing homes, funerals, and graveyards. Throughout, Erickson muses about her own efforts to recover from loss, including deaths of several close friends and her mother’s entry into a nursing home with dementia followed only four days later by her 59-year-old brother’s death from a heart attack.
In Erickson’s first chapter, “In the Field of Reeds: Egypt,” she takes us to the interior of one of the Great Pyramids at Giza, where she tries not to think about “the fact that the pyramids were built thousands of years before the advent of building codes.” She ends the chapter with a discussion of mummification and the way the practice made even pharaohs who ruled millions for decades look pitiful. “To echo the wisdom of the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, these guys aren’t merely dead: they’re most sincerely dead.”
In the chapter that follows, “God’s Waiting Room: Nursing Homes,” Erickson takes us to her mother’s nursing home and discusses the Buddhist spiritual practice of meditating on death as a tool toward enlightenment. The Buddha would feel right at home there, Erickson notes, “full of compassion for the residents with their halting gaits, blurred vision, and trembling hands.” Following this tender moment, she quips that “in the memory care unit of my mother’s Lutheran nursing home, the residents wouldn’t be surprised at all to be chatting with a robed Buddhist monk.”
Other pairings include the indigenous people of Maori in New Zealand with a chapter on Hospice; Mayan temples with funerals; and spiritual sites near Crestone, Colorado with graveyards. This mixing of beautifully described travel adventures with generously shared, intimate musings about things spiritual is one of Lori Erickson’s literary trademarks. Her wicked humor with its well-timed punch lines is another.
As with Holy Rover, I finished Near the Exit not only wanting to go more places myself, but also wanting to do more armchair travel with Lori Erickson as my guide.
September 22, 2019
Being shown the world through the eyes of thoughtful people who are keen travelers and also engaging writers is a big treat to someone who doesn’t travel (me). Near the Exit: Travels with the Not So-Grim Reaper is a wonderful read and a thought-provoking discussion of death and death rituals.
As a huge fan of the movie Coco, I really enjoyed visiting the largest annual Day of the Dead celebration in Chicago with Erickson. Likewise, ancient Egyptian sites; nursing homes; the New Zealand Maori; Aztecs and Mayan ruins; funeral homes; the spiritual center in Crestone, Colorado; Assisi; and the Sacred Stone Circle at Harvest Preserve in Iowa City were each, in their way, fascinating destinations for conversations about death. After reading this book, I think I may be able to react to nursing homes with more peace and grace.
My favorite section of book is near the end, when Erickson describes what she saw at Eremo delle Carceri (a hermitage overlooking Assisi): “Just outside the building is a statue of Francis that’s the happiest depiction of a saint I’ve ever seen. It shows him lying on the ground, his hands behind his head, his sandals kicked off and ankles crossed, a contented smile on his face. Christianity might produce more saints if we pictured them like this, rather than carrying the tools of their martyrdom.”
Erickson goes on to say “When it came time for him to die, he wanted them (his brothers) to place his naked body on the ground, not long, just about the length of time it took someone to walk a mile, he said. . . . maybe he knew that after his death his bones—and his message—would become the property of the church, which would inevitably try to corral and domesticate the wild spirit he’d unleashed. Before that happened, he would have one last moment of communion with the earth he loved so much. It is said when Francis died, a chorus of larks wheeled and swooped above him for a long time, singing him home.”
I’m not sure why that passage is so appealing. Maybe because it shows such a vibrant, living membrane between the spiritual and the physical.
I’m looking forward to an upcoming book club discussion of this book!
As a huge fan of the movie Coco, I really enjoyed visiting the largest annual Day of the Dead celebration in Chicago with Erickson. Likewise, ancient Egyptian sites; nursing homes; the New Zealand Maori; Aztecs and Mayan ruins; funeral homes; the spiritual center in Crestone, Colorado; Assisi; and the Sacred Stone Circle at Harvest Preserve in Iowa City were each, in their way, fascinating destinations for conversations about death. After reading this book, I think I may be able to react to nursing homes with more peace and grace.
My favorite section of book is near the end, when Erickson describes what she saw at Eremo delle Carceri (a hermitage overlooking Assisi): “Just outside the building is a statue of Francis that’s the happiest depiction of a saint I’ve ever seen. It shows him lying on the ground, his hands behind his head, his sandals kicked off and ankles crossed, a contented smile on his face. Christianity might produce more saints if we pictured them like this, rather than carrying the tools of their martyrdom.”
Erickson goes on to say “When it came time for him to die, he wanted them (his brothers) to place his naked body on the ground, not long, just about the length of time it took someone to walk a mile, he said. . . . maybe he knew that after his death his bones—and his message—would become the property of the church, which would inevitably try to corral and domesticate the wild spirit he’d unleashed. Before that happened, he would have one last moment of communion with the earth he loved so much. It is said when Francis died, a chorus of larks wheeled and swooped above him for a long time, singing him home.”
I’m not sure why that passage is so appealing. Maybe because it shows such a vibrant, living membrane between the spiritual and the physical.
I’m looking forward to an upcoming book club discussion of this book!
August 13, 2019
Even though it’s a subject we avoid like the plague in our younger days, few of us can avoid giving death considerable attention as we grow older. For most, this is a journey we take through uncharted territory littered with more questions than answers. But, pack your bag and hitch a ride with professional travel writer and Episcopal deacon Lori Erikson. Her book, Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-so-Grim Reaper is a travelogue that will make your excursion into death delightful. That’s right! Delightful!
When her brother died unexpectedly the same week her mother moved into a nursing home, Erickson was suddenly moved to understand her own mortality. “I needed to know how to live with death,” and Near the Exit is the result. In this brilliantly readable expedition, she takes us globetrotting among sacred places to view death through the eyes of different cultures, ancient and current. We visit Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, Mayan temples, Rome, Assisi, New Zealand’s Maori people, Chicago’s Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, her mom’s Iowa nursing home and much more. Most intriguing for me was the desert town of Crestone, Colorado, which she describes as having “more spiritual sites per square foot than any other place in North America,” including a ziggurat and an open air cremation pyre.
Erickson knits the stories of these destinations with conversations she has with people she meets and reflects thoughtfully and humorously on both. At journey’s end, she doesn’t conclude with formulaic answers about death, but she does deduce that observing various end-of-life experiences helps us surrender to the inevitable –our own deaths-- and to see that surrender as a gift, not a curse. Despite her clerical designation, the book isn’t overtly religious, though it’s at once a spiritual and thoroughly delightful read. I loved it!
Don’t miss this trip! “Oh the places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
[I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.]
When her brother died unexpectedly the same week her mother moved into a nursing home, Erickson was suddenly moved to understand her own mortality. “I needed to know how to live with death,” and Near the Exit is the result. In this brilliantly readable expedition, she takes us globetrotting among sacred places to view death through the eyes of different cultures, ancient and current. We visit Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, Mayan temples, Rome, Assisi, New Zealand’s Maori people, Chicago’s Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, her mom’s Iowa nursing home and much more. Most intriguing for me was the desert town of Crestone, Colorado, which she describes as having “more spiritual sites per square foot than any other place in North America,” including a ziggurat and an open air cremation pyre.
Erickson knits the stories of these destinations with conversations she has with people she meets and reflects thoughtfully and humorously on both. At journey’s end, she doesn’t conclude with formulaic answers about death, but she does deduce that observing various end-of-life experiences helps us surrender to the inevitable –our own deaths-- and to see that surrender as a gift, not a curse. Despite her clerical designation, the book isn’t overtly religious, though it’s at once a spiritual and thoroughly delightful read. I loved it!
Don’t miss this trip! “Oh the places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
[I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.]
August 11, 2019
In “Near the Exit” Lori Erickson examines the cultures and customs surrounding death, through a pilgrimage to places often associated with death and dying, both near and far. Erickson relies on her experiences as a spiritual travel writer to guide her on this voyage to the underworld. And while this is a serious topic, Erickson manages to insert her trademark humor and light hearted comments in just the right spots.
One of the distant places she visits is the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, where she contemplates the tremendous resources involved in preparing the rich and powerful for death. And after much contemplation she determines that the pyramids are simply huge resurrection machines, which is great. But only for the chosen few, which is not so great.
Closer to home she looks at how we deal with death and dying in twenty-first century America by visiting nursing homes, hospice facilities, funeral homes and cemeteries. A conversation with a funeral director about changes in our customs is insightful. The funeral director noted that early on we had customs the revolved around shared grief, where calling hours, and elaborate funeral services, often religious, were the norm. Today many people opt for no service at all, and grief has become more of a private burden.
Throughout it all, she seeks to learn more about what death has to teach us, and she succeeds in doing this, for both herself and her readers. This book is part travelogue and part spiritual essay. It succeeds on both counts.
Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
One of the distant places she visits is the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, where she contemplates the tremendous resources involved in preparing the rich and powerful for death. And after much contemplation she determines that the pyramids are simply huge resurrection machines, which is great. But only for the chosen few, which is not so great.
Closer to home she looks at how we deal with death and dying in twenty-first century America by visiting nursing homes, hospice facilities, funeral homes and cemeteries. A conversation with a funeral director about changes in our customs is insightful. The funeral director noted that early on we had customs the revolved around shared grief, where calling hours, and elaborate funeral services, often religious, were the norm. Today many people opt for no service at all, and grief has become more of a private burden.
Throughout it all, she seeks to learn more about what death has to teach us, and she succeeds in doing this, for both herself and her readers. This book is part travelogue and part spiritual essay. It succeeds on both counts.
Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 10, 2019
First, I must say that I was given an advance copy of the book and asked to write a review. I said yes with confidence, a confidence that didn't disappoint me. I thought I was being funny when I wrote a Facebook comment about this book: “If you are planning to die, this is a must-read book.” Then I realized my statement could be taken in two ways: “If you think you are going to die…” or “If you are working on plans for your dying and death…”
I was, actually, calling out to people who have not given the inevitability of their death much, if any, thought. Start here, with Lori Erickson’s book that takes readers on a gentle tour of many cultures and the multiple ways that people over time and around the world think about, talk about, and act out the reality that we are all going to die.
But the book could be helpful to either group. For those who live in full awareness that they are going to die, in some cases soon, Lori lays out the multiple ways you can approach that reality in a very practical way: What your options are. What you can expect from those left behind.
But if you are a part of the death-denying Western culture, Lori’s book will guide you in the multiple ways that people and cultures think about death, which will help you release your own fear of death. By book’s end, you may well be initiating conversations with your loved ones about death, about your death, about their death. Painful conversations. But necessary, both for you and for them.
Besides all that, the book is welcoming, easy to read (both in content and style) and, I can assure you, will tweak the way you think and feel about your own death.
I was, actually, calling out to people who have not given the inevitability of their death much, if any, thought. Start here, with Lori Erickson’s book that takes readers on a gentle tour of many cultures and the multiple ways that people over time and around the world think about, talk about, and act out the reality that we are all going to die.
But the book could be helpful to either group. For those who live in full awareness that they are going to die, in some cases soon, Lori lays out the multiple ways you can approach that reality in a very practical way: What your options are. What you can expect from those left behind.
But if you are a part of the death-denying Western culture, Lori’s book will guide you in the multiple ways that people and cultures think about death, which will help you release your own fear of death. By book’s end, you may well be initiating conversations with your loved ones about death, about your death, about their death. Painful conversations. But necessary, both for you and for them.
Besides all that, the book is welcoming, easy to read (both in content and style) and, I can assure you, will tweak the way you think and feel about your own death.
September 17, 2019
I hate to say it, but this was a big let down. I'm a huge fan of death. I'm a member of the death positive community, and I actively seek out books like this, books on death and dying, books on ritual, books on our relationship with our own mortality.
This was one of the first that was just an absolute bummer.
Aside from being poorly researched (no, those Victorian people in those creepy photographs were not dead with their eyes open, they were just trying to hold still) and factually inaccurate (no one can force you to be embalmed in the US, for any reason), the religious take on death that could have been incredibly interesting was just... insulting. I have no problem reading books with a spiritual bent (see my five star review of Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler, another excellent book about death and dying), but the author's own biases crept in in really inappropriate places, going so far as to say that ancient Aztec rituals were both unimaginable and icky, but then blowing off the atrocities that were the Crusades in one throw away line. There were a few good moments in here but I mostly found myself rolling my eyes and wanting the author to check her privilege.
This was one of the first that was just an absolute bummer.
Aside from being poorly researched (no, those Victorian people in those creepy photographs were not dead with their eyes open, they were just trying to hold still) and factually inaccurate (no one can force you to be embalmed in the US, for any reason), the religious take on death that could have been incredibly interesting was just... insulting. I have no problem reading books with a spiritual bent (see my five star review of Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler, another excellent book about death and dying), but the author's own biases crept in in really inappropriate places, going so far as to say that ancient Aztec rituals were both unimaginable and icky, but then blowing off the atrocities that were the Crusades in one throw away line. There were a few good moments in here but I mostly found myself rolling my eyes and wanting the author to check her privilege.
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August 14, 2019Like author Lori Erickson, I've also participated in Day of the Dead festivities, wondering how anyone could celebrate the end of life. I'm beginning to understand now. Her book is both a spiritual guide and a travelogue, exploring how cultures all over the world, and throughout time, have faced death. Like the author, I believe death isn't the end, but we must still come to grips with our mortality. How will we live in the present--with hope, or are we here just for passing pleasures and whatever we can accomplish? This book made me think, and I was grateful for its fresh, invigorating take. Highly recommended. I received a free copy of this book from WJK Books in return for my honest opinion.
November 22, 2019
Near The Exit:Travels With the Not-So-Grim Reaper
by Lori Erickson
2019
Westminister JohnKnoxPress
3.5 / 5.0
Lori Erickson is a travel writer, and, also, an Episcopalian deacon. After her brothers death, and her mother was placed in a memory- care facility, she began this memoir as a "quest, to face death head on, with the eye of a tourist and heart of a pastor."
From Egypts Valley of the Kings, and the Mayan temples, to Colorados Creamtion pyre....from Day of the Dead celebrations to Maori Settlements to graveyards, Erickson blends this memoir with spirituality and travel. Absolutely enjoyable, and funny, from start to finish.
The cover is mole-skin feelings, embossed and really a stand out.
by Lori Erickson
2019
Westminister JohnKnoxPress
3.5 / 5.0
Lori Erickson is a travel writer, and, also, an Episcopalian deacon. After her brothers death, and her mother was placed in a memory- care facility, she began this memoir as a "quest, to face death head on, with the eye of a tourist and heart of a pastor."
From Egypts Valley of the Kings, and the Mayan temples, to Colorados Creamtion pyre....from Day of the Dead celebrations to Maori Settlements to graveyards, Erickson blends this memoir with spirituality and travel. Absolutely enjoyable, and funny, from start to finish.
The cover is mole-skin feelings, embossed and really a stand out.
August 13, 2019
Lori Erickson is a reliable guide to people and places that evoke reflection
and offer insights for engaging the ‘end-times.’ From her opening page,
this master story teller and travel writer took me right along with her on a
deep dive to explore a variety of settings. When facing a choice about nursing
homes, she asks: “How do the natives relate to each other? What history has
shaped the place? What are the unwritten rules? What priorities will have to
be re-ordered?” Erickson’s lively and engaging spirit shines through each page.
I received an advance copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press
in exchange for my honest opinion. Carol J Allen, Chicago, Il
and offer insights for engaging the ‘end-times.’ From her opening page,
this master story teller and travel writer took me right along with her on a
deep dive to explore a variety of settings. When facing a choice about nursing
homes, she asks: “How do the natives relate to each other? What history has
shaped the place? What are the unwritten rules? What priorities will have to
be re-ordered?” Erickson’s lively and engaging spirit shines through each page.
I received an advance copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press
in exchange for my honest opinion. Carol J Allen, Chicago, Il
August 6, 2019
You might want to read “Near the Exit” more than once. Reading it was like having a personal conversation with its author, Lori Erickson. But that’s only part of the book’s appeal.
Lori is an excellent researcher, writer, thinker, journey guide – literal and spiritual. Her travels, referenced in “Near the Exit,” have taken her to places many of us may never see. Egypt, Rome, New Zealand, Austria, Assissi and other historic sites. Closer to home, Lori writes about Mexico, Colorado and Iowa. She writes about death and near-death in her own family. She’s an authentic and accessible author.
This book is Lori’s invitation to learn with her, as a peer, the way various cultures have dealt with and now deal with death. Cover to cover, “Near the Exit” explores death and examines the difficulty of dealing with one's own mortality. Lori raises many questions that some of us have been reluctant to ask. She engages us in the process of answering them.
Do read “Near the Exit,” wherever you may be in your relationship with death. It will enrich what you already know, open new doors of knowing and encourage you to dig deeper.
One more thing: I received a pre-publication copy of “Near the Exit” from the publisher in exchange for my uncoached/unedited feedback. That’s what you just read.
Lori is an excellent researcher, writer, thinker, journey guide – literal and spiritual. Her travels, referenced in “Near the Exit,” have taken her to places many of us may never see. Egypt, Rome, New Zealand, Austria, Assissi and other historic sites. Closer to home, Lori writes about Mexico, Colorado and Iowa. She writes about death and near-death in her own family. She’s an authentic and accessible author.
This book is Lori’s invitation to learn with her, as a peer, the way various cultures have dealt with and now deal with death. Cover to cover, “Near the Exit” explores death and examines the difficulty of dealing with one's own mortality. Lori raises many questions that some of us have been reluctant to ask. She engages us in the process of answering them.
Do read “Near the Exit,” wherever you may be in your relationship with death. It will enrich what you already know, open new doors of knowing and encourage you to dig deeper.
One more thing: I received a pre-publication copy of “Near the Exit” from the publisher in exchange for my uncoached/unedited feedback. That’s what you just read.
August 13, 2019
As a Mortician I am not afraid to talk about death. I have never understood why, however Lori makes the subject more approachable for everyone. Even if you start with something as basic as your directives, that is a start. Some might think because Lori is a deacon this whole book would be pushing Christianity, however she does a great job explaining other cultures and their customs with death. This book was a great read and I would highly recommend to others! I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
July 21, 2020
I love the cover of this book. I even like the description. But the actual book doesn't do anything for me. There are certain parts that are good and some of the cultural insights are interesting. But mostly this is a collection of disjointed stories that read like a personal blog written for friends and family. I don't really get it. The premise is good, but so much of the book is not about death, it's just the author rambling about her life.
August 3, 2019
Lori Erickson delves into a profound reality that neither medical nor technological advancements will ever avert: each of us dies. This book is the story of Erickson's journey of coming to terms with this unavoidable fate. Not only do her historical and cultural explorations of death take her to special sites around the globe; they also lead her to think more deeply about places closer to home with end-of-life associations, such as cemeteries and nursing homes. Her stories, infused with curiosity and a spiritual bent, interweave descriptions of her travel destinations, conversations with people she meets, and personal reflections about what she sees and experiences. Erickson offers no formulaic distillations of wisdom or pat answers to the mystery of death. What she does impart to the reader is a sense that anyone, armed with insights gleaned from the path she has trodden, can live more fully by accepting, even celebrating, death.
(A free, uncorrected copy of the manuscript in book form was received from Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.)
(A free, uncorrected copy of the manuscript in book form was received from Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.)
August 2, 2019
Erickson's NEAR THE EXIT is a unique and intimate journey into her discoveries about the truths, myths, and mysteries of dying, death, and the after life. Richly detailed descriptions of her travel experiences and human encounters transport the reader into intriguing cultures, past times, and long standing traditions that have informed and influenced beliefs and practices since the days of the Egyptian pyramids and the still practiced Mexican Day of the Dead. Woven throughout the book are Erickson's personal experiences with her mother and brother, creating a depth and intimacy that remind the reader that Erickson's journey and ours are both individual and universal. Erickson's writing is engaging, sensitive, and sprinkled with her witty and delightful sense of humor.
NEAR THE EXIT is a must read for anyone seeking fresh perspectives on the age old questions of death and dying. Erickson's distinctive writing style and story telling capabilities captivated me and I look forward to reading her next publication.
I received a free copy of the book from Westminster John Knox Press Books in exchange for an honest review.
NEAR THE EXIT is a must read for anyone seeking fresh perspectives on the age old questions of death and dying. Erickson's distinctive writing style and story telling capabilities captivated me and I look forward to reading her next publication.
I received a free copy of the book from Westminster John Knox Press Books in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2019
So I am fascinated with books that explore the edges of human experience, including the border of life and death. I expect I'll someday visit that place and make my own immigration, and I am interested to learn from those travelers who have gone before me.
These books often share a certain somber, respectful, treading-on-holy-ground tone that is remarkable absent here. Erickson is wholly funny and irreverent, often at her own expense, never at the cruel expense of others. And she is very much the wide-eyed traveler herself, literally as well as metaphorically.
She makes a great travel companion and this is a worthwhile book. I expect it's something of a mood read and recommend picking it up when it appeals. I found her accounts of keeping her mom company in a care facility to be particularly poignant (though not depressing).
With thanks to Westminster John Knox Publishers and to NetGalley for the ARC.
These books often share a certain somber, respectful, treading-on-holy-ground tone that is remarkable absent here. Erickson is wholly funny and irreverent, often at her own expense, never at the cruel expense of others. And she is very much the wide-eyed traveler herself, literally as well as metaphorically.
She makes a great travel companion and this is a worthwhile book. I expect it's something of a mood read and recommend picking it up when it appeals. I found her accounts of keeping her mom company in a care facility to be particularly poignant (though not depressing).
With thanks to Westminster John Knox Publishers and to NetGalley for the ARC.
July 30, 2019
I have a very mixed up brain. You see I suffer from OCD (the intrusive thoughts and ruminations branch) so I can sit there and think about or plan out my own death in intricate detail, thinking what a sweet release it might be, while at the same time being absolutely terrified of actually dying. I say all this to start off a book review as it might give insight to why someone like me might enjoy reading on death. Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper by Lori Erickson gave me exactly what I needed. A way to look at death through the eyes of different cultures. Lori travels to several places throughout the book and speaks with different spiritual leaders on how they view and handle the aspect of death. I truly feel that the more I am able to read about death, and speak about it, the less I fear it or it’s hold on my mind. This book gave me more of those slivers of peace I am looking for in regards to my own mortality.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
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I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
#read #reader #book #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bookreview #greatreads #alwaysreading #reading #ilovebooks #currentreads #bookaddict #booknerd #bookish #bibliophile #goodreads #readerlife #booklife #readandreview
August 19, 2019
Was really pleased to read this book. When I 1st started it, I was like oh Lord here we go again another "religious book". That wasn't the case at all. The way that Lori Erickson explores, life and life after death is amazing. It really makes you sit there and wonder. What does happen after we die? Definitely recommend. This is my honest opinion.
Rating 4
Rating 4
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