I don't know what I was hoping for exactly, but this turned out to be something like Writing 101 for people unclear on what this whole "writing" thing was about, yet still felt like putting down what is referred to here as their "life story". There's even little text boxes repeating the most enlightening pieces of advice in case your attention span isn't QUITE up to speed ("Before you start writing any section of your story, think about what you're trying to say.").

I was kind of under the impression that an obituary was most of all *short*, a paragraph of concise yet personal information on a person that is no more. The author does not share this philosophy, instead going for a "more is more"-approach that leads, taken literally, to some kind of in-depth (auto-)biography I'm not sure I see the point of, unless you're thinking of leaving something behind for the grandkids and possible future generations. So if you're toying with the idea of writing a memoir, this book might be useful, just like all the other memoir-writing tomes might be useful; I wouldn't know, as this is not something I have the slightest interest in. I guess I was looking more for something that gave insight into the one-punch style of obit that doesn't waste a single word instead of talking you into pouring your life story into 300 chapters.

Also, this baby feels *long*. If you're the kind of person in need of what the author considers necessary pointers and priceless hints, as well as lots and lots of exhaustive examples of the "this is what I mean, and by the way, I've written it myself"-kind, maybe ploughing through 240 pages that easily feel like twice as much might be asking a bit much. I think part of the problem for me were the obituaries themselves, most of which went on FOREVER and proved less than exciting to read due to the amount of unnecessary detail, or which simply did not feel that interesting to me. On the other hand, if you enjoy reading up on the life experiences of random people, you will probably get a lot more out of this book than I did.


My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of "Yours Truly" in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one. If you're an aspiring writer then I highly recommend this book. There are chapters that cover a wide variety of help such as "What to Include," "What Not To Include,"
"Being Frank About the Family" and "How Pros Cover Their Own Stories." Though this wasn't a book to read in one sitting for me, I was invested in it enough to come back to it and finish reading.

When I read the book's title and cover, I was curious. I just had to check out this book, so I requested it. The book's author did a wonderful job with infusing humor and an upbeat vibe while explaining how to write your own obituary and why.

This book is full of wonderful tips and examples on how to write your own obituary. James R. Hagerty did a wonderful job in this book. As a writer myself, I love telling stories. Readers should check out this book!

My thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGallery for a digital copy of this book for my review!

In “Yours Truly,” James R. Hagerty encourages us to write down our life stories, making our memories come alive for those closest to us. Through his experience as an obituary writer for the Washing Post, Hagarty has acquired a unique understanding of what a person’s life story can mean to those left behind. He encourages us to go beyond the typical biographical narrative and make an attempt to capture the essence of who we are, rather than to leave our obituary in the hands of grieving people on a short deadline.

The extensive chapters cover a wide variety of practical help such as “What to Include,” “What Not To Include,” “Being Frank About the Family” and “How Pros Cover Their Own Stories.” In addition to such advice, we are treated to fascinating contextual details in chapters such as “A Ridiculously Short History of Obituaries” and “What We Can Learn from Pepys”.

Throughout the book, Hagerty shares interviews, anecdotes and examples form his own work to illustrate the value of personal stories from people of all walks of life. His tone is friendly and supportive, with plenty of interview questions and angles to consider when struggling to think of what to write. “Yours Truly” is an enjoyable reminder of the importance of capturing our memories while we still can. Through heartfelt musings and engaging stories, Hagarty delivers an inspiring message to set aside now to write about who we are and what we have done, not just as a gift to posterity but to better understand what we are doing now.

We rarely think of telling our life stories for posterity, but James R. Hagerty, in his book Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer’s Guide to Telling Your Story, makes a strong—and often humorous—case for doing just that. As a professional obituarist with the Wall Street Journal, he pulls from a wealth of stories and obits that show those of us who believe our lives aren’t exciting or interesting enough to chronicle that there are gems and sparklers to be mined, revisited, and recorded. Laying out the mechanics and techniques needed to fashion one’s life story, Hagerty gives a solid road map to telling our stories in the best way possible whether a brief mention or an autobiographical offering.

*****Publishing December 27, 2022*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ James R. Hagerty is an obituary writer for the Wall Street Journal. His purpose in writing this book is to teach the general public how to write a more accurate obituary as often obituaries are written by a family member or friend who is grief stricken. Their grief might often cause the obituary to be dull or lack details. A good point that he made was, does the family member or friend even know important dates or life events? Therefore, this author recommends writing your own or leaving notes on what you want said in your obituary. Writing it at a younger age can help reevaluate how your life is going and what you still want to accomplish.

This book is fascinating and informative! It sheds some light on what it takes to write an informative and meaningful obituary! This book gives great guidance with questions to think about, information to include/not include, and whether or not to include humorous parts of their lives or their personality. Not only does this book give great advice on how to write an obituary, but also how to write your own life story. This author also included his own experiences with writing obituaries for his job, family and even himself.

This book can be read all at once or one that you read over time. I loved how this author included humor in such a serious topic, it made this book more relatable! A highly informative book that that I encourage anyone who is wanting to write their own life story or obituary to consider reading!

Thanks to Kensington Books (Citadel), I was provided an ARC of Yours Truly by James R. Hagerty via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an unexpectedly great read. I read it in huge chunks rather than picking it up and putting it down all the time - to me this tells me that it flows well and that I as the reader keep wanting to come back to it.

I liked the intersection of the personal and the professional, which is perhaps a product of the author's work and writing style. I thought it lent itself really well to this work and I am pleased to have read it.

I also liked that he continued to emphasize the importance of writing one's story, whether in the context of one's death or not. This is important and I see that in my work and life almost every day. This book gave me a lot of ideas about approaching this topic with my family and friends as well as with myself on some level.

This would make a great New Year's purchase for someone looking to start a writing project.