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We'll Be The Last One To Let You Down: Memoir Of A Gravedigger’s Daughter (2013)

by Rachael Hanel(Favorite Author)

3.71 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

University of Minnesota Press

review 1: This is by far one of the best titles I've seen on a book in a long time. Grabs you right away.While this starts out as a simple story of a young girl whose family is in an unusual business, it eventually morphs into a book about family. It is basically the story of her Dad, and his loss. It is a candid, deep exploration of life and death, of family and story. Mostly about story - what we leave behind.I loved the stories behind the gravestones. Incredible stories of tragedy, loss and finally, recovery. The bit about tucking grief down rings very true for this Midwestern Scandinavian. But eventually, the people who have lost go on with their lives. So ultimately, it's a story of hope.I have almost met Rachael at least twice. I just always miss her. Once she stood right next... more to me and had her picture taken with my good friend Sarah Stonich. But I didn't know it was her. I couldn't get anywhere close to her at the MN Book Awards, the signing tables were a madhouse. This book was a Finalist for the MN Book Awards this year, and well deserved. I look forward to more from this author. And hope to meet her some day!
review 2: I have to admit, I had never really thought about grave digging as a profession or a family business. This is an intriguing look into the business of death from the post-funeral perspective. Hanel's father was a grave digger in a small Minnesota town where everyone knew everyone. He took care of the details most of us never think about - from making sure that artificial turf is used to cover the mound of dirt to caring for the caskets when the ground is too frozen to dig a grave. His goal was to leave no trace behind - no ugly gashes in the ground, just as if the body was placed underground by supernatural means. Apparently her father was the backbone of the family, as after his abrupt death, the family falls apart. It's amazing how a family so used to dealing with death as a part of life was unable to deal with death when it came to their door.Some favorite moments:* Intuition would tell me that it's a natural human response to cry and wail and grieve with others. But over time, that's been pushed down, at least in our culture. The body in the casket is perfumed and made up. Green artificial turf is used to cover the mound of dirt at the gravesite. The funeral director carefully guides and choreographs every move to be sure nothing falls out of line. We had ways to neatly bottle up death, so we did.* Funeral bells and wedding bells sound the same.* We confronted grief as much as we confronted workk. Grief was just another thing to do well, to control and perfect.I would be interested to read a book written by Hanel in about 20 years and see where life has taken her and how her family is. Highly recommend. less

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