Happy Wednesday before Thanksgiving! Today I will be hitting the road to San Diego to pick up my oldest from UCSD!💛💙
Thrilled to share with you today my review for this book that is much more uplifting then the title might lead you to believe… A huge thank you to Sarah for my invitation to the tour!💛🧡
My Thoughts
An uplifting story about a difficult subject…
”Nothing is certain except death and taxes.”
This story was such a little quirky Jem… I loved the setting of the quaint village and all the colorful characters… it seems strange to call a book about death fun, but it was… fun and lighthearted…. it was emotional, and there were tears, but there were also plenty of smiles and laughs… I think this idea of a death café is quite brilliant, a place where people can come to discuss a topic often avoided… in a safe environment and bonus you get cake! I googled death café and found this is a growing movement that started in Europe…
Edna was prompted to start the death café after the death of her beloved partner ted… loved Edna and her spunk… she really wanted to help this village out and wasn’t always met with the most positive of reactions…. The secondary characters were an eclectic group of quirky characters… all of them dealing with some type of Grief either the loss or pending loss of a parent, child,or significant other… you really saw how grief really impacts each of us very differently and yet similarly… but the death café is not just about dealing with grief it is also about confronting your own immortality….
This book also had a bit of mystery and a sinister newcomer to the village…. this definitely added some flavor to the story, also rallied the villagers around Edna…. a lovely cozy story filled with Hart and humor… i’d absolutely recommend you add this one to your winter TVR!
*** many thanks to the publisher and Sarah for my copy of this book ***
About the Book
To cope with her loss, she sets up a Death Cafe to break down the taboo around death and to encourage other members of the community to discuss it openly. Over tea and cake, the participants hide their fears behind a veil of dark humour.
Religious fanaticism clashes with Victorian spiritualism as Edna’s meetings trigger lively conversations on the fragility of life, anxiety over dying, cost of funerals, and making sure long-lost greedy relatives don’t benefit from inheritances.
Soon, a series of events begin to unfold which threaten to undermine Edna’s livelihood and the Death Cafe meetings. These events just happen to coincide with the arrival of a mysterious stranger into the village.
Who is she and why is she so hostile to Edna?
About the Author
Angelena Boden has spent thirty- five years as an international training consultant, specialising in behavioural management and conflict resolution. She trained in Transactional Analysis, the psychology of communication and behaviour, her preferred tool for counselling and coaching.
She originates from the Peak District but has spent a life time travelling and living in places as far apart as Vancouver, Dubai, Paris, Seville and Iran. Now semi-retired in Great Malvern, she writes every morning, walks the hills and paints landscapes every afternoon and fits family and reading in between.
She is the author of two traditionally published novels and many articles and blogs.
Her most recent novel, Edna’s Death Cafe is published as an e-book by Matador.
Angelena is keen to meet readers, old and new, and is available for book talks, events, and always chatting over a cuppa (within 60 miles of Worcester).
Links:
Berit Talks Books 