Now Departing
eBook - ePub

Now Departing

A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between

  1. 274 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Now Departing

A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between

About this book

In this unique and thoughtful collection, a young funeral director—also known as “the internet’s favorite mortician” (CNBC)—explores various aspects of death, offering heartfelt and practical insights into how we determine what matters most while we are alive. This evocative book is for fans of Thomas Lynch, Mary Roach, and Caitlin Doughty.

Now Departing explores the science, craft, and mindfulness behind Victor M. Sweeney’s very peculiar skill set. Working in the funeral business since he was eighteen years old, Sweeney astutely shares the powerful and moving lessons of how we can exist and be remembered with intention and meaning.

Each page is filled with reflective observations and true stories from the lives and deaths that Sweeney has come to know through his work in a small Minnesota town. With grace and understanding, he also explores the rituals around preparing and saying goodbye to those we mourn; the love and forgiveness that arises in the face of grief; the universal interplay of walking between the chasm of the mundanity of a required business practice that touches on humanity’s deepest metaphysical realities; and ultimately, how loss gives us the opportunity to focus on and celebrate the elements we have gained.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Author’s Note
  5. Preface
  6. Chapter 1: The Sign of 1,600 Souls
  7. Chapter 2: A Good Funeral
  8. Chapter 3: Autumn in Namibia
  9. Chapter 4: A Farmer’s Death
  10. Chapter 5: Walls of Conviction
  11. Chapter 6: Getting Lost
  12. Chapter 7: Death at the Rumor Mill
  13. Chapter 8: Grim Housekeeping
  14. Chapter 9: Night Call
  15. Chapter 10: And a Time to Laugh
  16. Chapter 11: A Banana or a Cup of Coffee
  17. Chapter 12: Why Not a Bone Ark?
  18. Chapter 13: Dying Away from Home
  19. Chapter 14: Waiting
  20. Chapter 15: The Mort-Wife
  21. Chapter 16: Knowledge at Your Fingertips
  22. Chapter 17: An Obituary
  23. Chapter 18: A Request
  24. Chapter 19: The Usual Attire
  25. Chapter 20: Reckless Charity
  26. Chapter 21: Strictly Business
  27. Chapter 22: The Price We Pay for Love
  28. Chapter 23: In Living Memory
  29. Chapter 24: Open to Life, Open to Death
  30. Chapter 25: An Epitaph
  31. Chapter 26: The Curse
  32. Chapter 27: Friends Among the Living and the Dead
  33. Afterword
  34. Acknowledgments
  35. About the Author
  36. Copyright

Trusted by 375,005 students

Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.

Study more efficiently using our study tools.

Information

Publisher
Gallery Books
Year
2025
Topic
Personal Development
Subtopic
Social Science Biographies
eBook ISBN
9781668062135

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Now Departing by Victor M. Sweeney in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Personal Development & Social Science Biographies. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.