I imagine many people will be attracted to this book out of morbid curiosity - that is kind of the point of a non-fiction about mortuaries and other death-ly professions, is it not? I’ve read a few of these, and unfortunately found Sorry For Your Loss to be lacking in comparison.

First, the author is very repetitive - there are at least three scenarios that are told twice, with only minor variations.

Second, although the author is not a doctor, her attempts at explaining certain medical matters fall short.

Third, it seems this memoir is supposed to be a little bit inspiring, but the hot takes are… well, not really that hot, and rather generic.

The most important GOOD thing about Sorry For Your Loss is the absolute care and dignity for the dead. The author’s attitude towards the dead, and her treatment of the loved ones surviving them, is certainly something healthcare workers can strive to emulate.

Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy. In return for an honest review! #sorryforyourloss #netgalley

This memoir explores death - you may think this is a bit morbid but it provides a unique understanding of the peace and challenges that come when working in health care and faced with mortality.

As a healthcare professional I am always interested in picking up new healthcare memoirs.

This book has everything you want from a memoir coveting such an emotive topic. It provides education, compassion, thought provoking insights into the lives of others.

This is an interesting and emotional memoir. As the description says, it is written by someone who worked in a morgue and was able to give inside information and also tell stories to give readers a window into a place they don't often see. It also gave the opportunity to reflect on relationships. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Thank you to Ad Lib Publishers | Mardle Books and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This book was really interesting, and I couldn't put it down. The author obviously isn't a writer and it definitely shows, but this book kept my interest none the less.

The author is really respectful of her work, and it shows.

I found this uplifting and heartbreaking all at once.

To read the different stories and be impacted by each one in a different way really surprised me. When you read about death you have an expectation for it to be quite a sombre read and maybe even depressing but I didn’t feel like it was depressing in anyway!

Absolutely loved this book!

Kate & Linda you are amazing!

I was hooked throughout and couldn't put this book down.

Thank you for accepting my ARC request.

4 heartfelt stars

“Of course, tears were shed. They were bereft but there was also lots of laughter and love, lots of stories.”

“I’ve lived among the dead for longer than I would have thought, and they have taught me more than I could ever have imagined.”

Kate Marshall is a worker in the hospital mortuary in England. She is not an experienced writer. Sentences are occasionally choppy or material a bit repetitious. (Linda Watson-Brown is the ghost-writer for this book.) Marshall is a kind, sensitive person with an important story to tell. The writing is heartfelt, honest and simple, making the book appealing. The conversational style is like talking to a friend.

A few parts are gross, dealing with body stuff. The author(s) handle things as sensitively as possible. I recommend skimming over yucky parts or skipping a few paragraphs. This did not get in the way of me enjoying the book and learning from it.

The last two months of Marshall’s year were when Covid started. “There was no slow decline, it had just hit them like a ton of bricks. They (patients) were actually having to make a decision which could kill them, just in the hope that they might be one of the few who were saved.” Her personal account did a great job of conveying the desperation of those early times that we are already forgetting. “It was horrible, I just felt like I wanted to get away… every aspect of Covid was already relentless…the emotional drain was relentless, even having conversations with doctors who were in tears was relentless. Every aspect was so draining… People will never get over these things. Not saying goodbye, not seeing loved ones in person. It felt like a plague, like we were in some surreal futuristic hell.”

The following blurb from the publisher sums up well. “Sorry for Your Loss is haunting, uplifting and informative, with many moments of laughter, and shows us that the way we approach death can make life all the more precious.”

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely different but interesting all at the same time. Working in a mortuary is for someone who doesn't mind helping the dead but is not for me. It was very interesting to hear how she worked there and what she did on a daily basis. I liked how it described different scenarios including stillborn and miscarriage. I have always wondered what happened after my stillborn. This book is not going to be for everyone, but I enjoyed it all the same.

Many thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Kate Marshall writes an emotional, yet uplifting and funny first hand account of someone working within a mortuary. It's an area, not all that commonly covered within Bio/Memoirs and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about 'the other side'.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Just a little too morbid for my liking right at this moment.

A very emotional read, that uncovers the mysteries of life in a hospital mortuary after death. It is not written in a morbid way, but in a gentle chatty way that uncovers the secrets to enable people to have more idea of the process.

Touching, insightful, honest, and at times even funny. However, I was unable to read it all at once, due to the nature. Consuming large portions of this book was a bit hard times, but in a way that makes you reflect about life. Recommend to certain readers that have the capacity to digest content about death.

A gritty and engaging look behind the curtain, handled with such emotional depth and respect. Sorry for Your Loss is a fantastic and eye opening read that puts things into perspective. Very well written and informative.

A glimpse into the world that no one wants to think about however, this book is written with absolute kindness and respect. I learnt huge amounts and was genuinely touched by how beautifully written many parts of this book were.

The author comes across as incredibly caring, someone who I would like to be looking after my loved ones in that situation.

I think for me the timing was off. I lost my dad and some of this was just too difficult

However what I will say is this is a very well written, sensitive and informative read.

I would reread it for certain

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested in this book because I have read and enjoyed a few other nonfiction books about the death industry (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory and Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers), and expected this one to be similar. The author works in a mortuary at a hospital in England, and I did learn a lot about the differences between the roles that a hospital mortuary, a coroner, and a funeral director each play after someone has passed.

I found the author to be extremely respectful of the dead that she worked with over the years, and I liked the stories she told about memorable individuals, funny situations, or even conflicts with families. It was nice to think there are people like her keeping the memories of people alive after they pass on, even though she didn't know almost any of the hospital patients personally before their death.

However, this book is in need of some serious editing, and maybe that will change by the time it is published since I was reading an advance copy. The stories told by the author, while interesting, felt almost entirely unorganized. It was difficult to read because I often had no idea where the author would go next, and stories jumped randomly from one to another. I was left wishing the chapters were organized by specific themes at least, or that there was more to tie the individual stories together. It was like reading someone's train-of-thought diary rather than a finished book.

Interesting, engaging and oftentimes humorous and poignant account of a mortuary attendant in the year leading up to and including the beginning of the SARS2/COVID outbreak in the UK. As someone who comes from a health information/hospital background, I found the tales all too familiar from a medical records/coding perspective - and found it extremely interesting to read about what happens after discharge/death - the period after which my involvement ends. Being from Canada, I found it especially interesting to read about the process that occurs in the mortuary for patients viewing the body as this is not the same process in Canada; it speaks to a greater continuity of care, perhaps, where the family is afforded an opportunity to spend as much time as needed with their loved one without the pressure of medical staff needing to clear out a hospital bed for the next patient.

This was a really interesting read. Whilst in places it certainly wasn’t easy, it answered the sort of questions you would never want to ask, and is carefully written enough that it is not “entertainment” but “informative”.

Fascinating.

A very emotional read, but actually one that I think everyone should read because after all it’s all part of life.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Very interesting read. Death always has people with lots of questions. Sometimes to scared to ask. I learned a lot. It was very well written