Finally got around to reading this one and I could kick myself for taking so long. This was wonderful to get lost in. The stories are told in a soothing voice that makes it easy to lose yourself in these pages. Yes, the subject matter is very personal and sad and at sometimes humorous, but there is insight to be gained from the reading.

Did not like this book. I couldn't get into it, lots of rambling that didn't make sense to me, way wordy. I thought this book was going to be really interesting but it took everything I had to finish it. I think the author has a lot to say but should have been more to the point and actually wrote about what he knew instead of making things flowery. Received this book as an ARC and I am giving my honest feedback.

I went into this book strangely looking forward to what the author had to say. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Editing would have made a huge difference as there was quite a bit of rambling. And he spoke of his friends a lot, as if the reader should know these people.

It appears that author Thomas Lynch enjoys poetry and has some talent there but this wasn’t a poetry book. While Lynch did have some interesting things to say I had trouble following his style of writing.

I know several people have enjoyed this book so please take that into consideration. We all have different tastes in writing styles and of course my opinion isn’t the last word.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Thomas Lynch's Whence and Whither is a wonderful collection of well written and thought provoking essays that are personal in nature, interspersed with poetry, and profound regarding their insight on human mortality, death, and the great questions of life. Lynch, an undertaker, poet, and essayist, is open concerning his religious skepticism, his family history and relationships, and his affinity for drink; he is honest about what he has experienced and seen, including the depth of human suffering and the horrors of death. His best essay in this collection is "The Good Funeral and the Empty Tomb." I enjoyed each essay, and recommend this work for reading, particularly for ministers or religious persons who want to think more carefully about the frailty of human life, and the profundity and power of our rituals conducted in the face of death.

Whence and Wither: On Lives and Living; Thomas Lynch, Westminster John Know Press, 2019
I admit at the outset that I had a difficult time getting into this book. Understand, I lay no blame on the author because as I continued to push through, I found humor, a helpful perspective on dying and the dead and I highlighted a lot of notes.
Perhaps it was because this was my first introduction to Thomas Lynch of whom I had heard but not read. Perhaps it was the Lynch the Poet writing narrative. Or perhaps I have been reading so much theology I was wearing the wrong lenses for such a book.
The bottom line is I enjoyed the book and will certainly be referring to it and looking for more of Thomas Lynch.
As a matter of fact, we have much in common, in that, as a minister, I bury a lot of bodies and as an undertaker, he prepares the bodies for burial. That he writes as a poet/undertaker intrigued me enough to want to read this book.
We also have in common the sense that we live between two dates separated by a dash. And as we are both getting older, we both know the end date is certainly nearer. The dash is already on the stone but until the engraver gets out his tools Whence and Wither may provide some insight for the time between whence and wither.
He offers some very positive words about pastors/priests or whatever name those who provide spiritual help for the living and dying go by.
In Chapter 2, “And every coffin whither”, he provides some insight into another role of the spiritual caregiver that of public speaking. He reminds us that the etymology of the word pulpit is the Latin “pulpitum” meaning catafalque or scaffold. I can tell you from experience that any message may be our last. I will certainly remind the students in my pastoral training classes of the origin of the word pulpit. Walk up prepared because we may come down quickly.
His thoughts on the American way of death have caused me to rethink the way I do funerals and even the way I think about my own funeral. He writes, “For many bereaved North Americans, the ‘celebration of life’ involves a guest list open to everyone except the actual corpse, which is often dismissed, disappeared with rubric or witness, buried or burned out of sight, out of mind by paid functionaries such as me. So the visible presence of the pope’s body at the pope’s funeral struck me as an oddity, a quaint relic of old customs. “(Kindle location 1544)
He goes on the say that Americans seem to, in my words, fail to recognize at a funeral the main character in his/her current form.
However, this is not a morbid book, though the main theme, captured in the title, is on living and dying. This book gives us a poet’s perspective on life. Poets have a way of seeing that most of us don’t have. The author quotes his own works as well as lines from other poets. I like these words from Kindle location 956, “All poets borrow…great poets steal”.
Maybe we can gain insight into our lives by stealing from the thoughts of Thomas Lynch.
I received a galley of the book from netgalley.com with the sole understanding that I would read it and write a review.

As a healthcare professional who has worked with many dying patients, I was intrigued by the premise of the book written by an undertaker and poet. I think there are some great insights and reflections, but I honestly found many of the essays a bit dry and hard to follow. At times it read as though the author was rambling and not really making a case for the topic at hand. Perhaps it was my lack of familiarity with the author or what to expect. There is some humor and moments of revelation, but I just never felt like it reached its full potential.

Thanks to Netgalley and Westminster John Knox Press for the chance to read an advance reader's copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

​Although the book seemed to be appealing and interesting when I requested it, I found myself passing page after page wondering where was the author going. I didn't understand what he was talking about, why he changed the subject all of a sudden, what the point was in the whole book, and so I though after passing more than a quart of the book: "What's the point on keep on reading?"
I expected details on his experience as a funeral director, maybe how death and poetry were related to him, maybe even why he decided to work with the dead in the first place, but he just kept telling random events on his life and topics that he confused me. I don't see what the purpose of the book was if not that. Maybe I was the wrong reader, maybe he was too experimental and eclectic in his writing for me, but I just couldn't find any sense in any page.

Whilst I certainly think this author is a taleneted poet and has had an interesting life, I am not sure the book adequately reflects that. It seems to me, that this could stand another round or two of editing in order to simplify it. It really does get bogged down in the details where you can't see the cemetery through the coffins.

The author made some valid points and certainly has some beautiful poetry and prose, but for me, I couldn't follow everything that was being said in the beginning even, because there were just too many people to keep up with.

I think if you are part of the industry, as in, an undertaker, you might get more out of this than the general reader will, even if you are someone who truly loves poetry.

I still enjoyed portions of it and am grateful to have had the chance to read it.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

It's Lent and I often select a book to read that is a thought provoker. Written by an undertaker from Milford, MI this one fits that bill. Sectioned into essays about what comes next and how death is viewed by many; this one is most definitely a somber sort of read.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Here is the text of my review:

I was intrigued to read an essay collection by an undertaker. Lynch spends much of the book talking about his understanding of life and loss, as seen through the experiences of his work, familial relationships and longtime friendships.

Lynch included some lovely insights on life and death throughout the book. I enjoyed this quote:

"A failure to deal authentically with death may have something to do with an inability to deal authentically with life."

On the whole, the book could have benefitted from a lot more editorial insight. The first few essays were so full of names of the author's friends and acquaintances, that I thought I was still reading the acknowledgements section. The essays were more often than not, hard to follow, and the reading was laborious. This book contained a lot more poetry than I expected, and perhaps also could have been labelled as a book of poetry, due to the volume of poetry within the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Westminster John Knox Press for the chance to read an advance reader's copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

“Whence and Whither: On Lives and Living,” is a collection of writings by Thomas Lynch. Lynch is a poet who also happens to be a funeral director. He is known for his observations on death. “Whence and Whither,” as its subtitle indicates, is much more about life and living it well. It’s easy to see that lynch is a poet, first and foremost. His words go down like milk and honey, for the most part. He, like so many artists, also has no problem questioning the status quo.

Lynch doesn’t spare religion In this quest. He is cynical toward the church, as a whole, especially the Catholic Church. The book is ranked in Christian and theology categories; yet, at times he seems to question the very existence of God. Even though I didn’t agree with many of the writer’s opinions, I found his writing to be excellent. It was much like meeting an interesting stranger and after a couple of hours of conversation, feeling like you’ve grown, somehow. Growth almost always requires looking at things from a point of view from which you haven’t previously.

One section (several pages, in fact) of prose was used, word for word in 2 separate essays In, “Whence and Whither.” This was a bit confusing for me as the reader. I spent a bit of time double checking the text to make sure I wasn’t crazy. I was correct about the repeated text. The jury is still out on the issue of my sanity.

I truly enjoyed “Whence And Whither.” There was poetry, essays on a variety of topics, and even a play (which I loved!). He included many stories from his extensive time spent in Ireland. I liked the writing style and the author’s honesty and transparency. He has a lifetime of experience, from which we can learn much.

One of the many passages I made note of was this: “All I can testify to are the times I knew that, if God is love, as John instructs us, Then I’ve seen God and more than once. And not where I expected.” This is a good description of how I felt reading, “Whence and Whither.” I was in awe at the wisdom and beauty I found in the writings of a man who I largely disagreed with on many topics.

Lynch didn’t write a whole lot on issues of death and grief. If you are hoping to read the author’s thoughts on death and grieving, you might be better served by reading his other book, “The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade.” If you are looking for thought-provoking writings about life from a top-notch poet, “Whence and Whither,” is a book I would highly recommend.

I give “Whence And Whither” 4 enthusiastic stars.

You can preorder “Whence and Whither” until March 12, 2019. At that time it will be published and available for sale. Thank you to Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Court - Where I'm the Judge and Jury

Whence and Whither by Thomas Lynch

CHARGE (What was the author trying to say?): The author explores “How did you come to be the one you are … if every cradle asks us where, surely every coffin makes us question whither?”

FACTS: I am still not sure why I requested to read an advance copy of a book by a mortician/poet. I’m not really a fan of poetry or death. The author seems to realize this going to be hard sell “neither poets nor undertakers … are on most folks’ list of favorite things.”

Lynch seems to waiver between a stance as a religious and that of an agnostic. A resolution of his own spiritual state could galvanize his writing. He seeks to live “a hyphenated life,” juggling his writing with “the contingencies of life and death.” To my mind, mortuary science is not the muse for great poetry. At times his writing is ponderous, and other times almost unintelligible.

His descriptions of the evolution of funerals and grief and cremation were tedious, as was the Lacrimae Rerum: A Play in One Act, which appears abruptly in this section.

The book is filled with family vignettes interspersed with some poetry, some ramblings, and some jumbled prose. I never sensed a purpose or flow to the story. I normally read for pleasure and was certainly not entertained by this book.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Not guilty. I failed to see a point in this book, much less the author's stated purpose.

I was looking for something a little less scholarly.
I received this book free from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review