Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: Curtains

Curtains: adventures of an undertaker-in-training by Tom Jokinen 2010

Can a book about funerals be funny? In Curtains : adventures of an undertaker-in-training, Tom Jokinen researches a grave subject with sensitivity and with humour. In his mid-forties, the author quit his job and apprenticed at a small, family-owned funeral parlour in Winnipeg. In the book, he describes procedures followed for either a burial or a cremation. He talks about industry trends and describes the rites followed by some of the mainstream religious groups: the Catholic, Methodist, Jewish and Amish. He talks of the impact on the industry of the book, The American Way of Death, written by Jessica Mitford in 1963 and how marketing techniques used by funeral directors changed as a result. He attended a conference for funeral directors in California and describes some of the unusual practices that take place there. Mr. Jokinen is an inquisitive person who examines all aspects of the industry and the beliefs surrounding life and death. Although some people may find some parts of the book somewhat disturbing, it is a very interesting and informative read. And, as mentioned at the beginning, his fresh, no-nonsense approach is entertaining and humorous.