DNF at70% Living in southeastern WI and spending summers in the Northwoods, and that it also had a food element, I really wanted to like this book. But it read young adult, I kept putting the boom down every few pages and then element of the fictional version of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy and the PTSD (drinking, anger issues) and the continued references to Waukegan which is no where close to the WI Northwoods — all sent this one downhill for me. This book needed more Funeral Ladies and less of the not so well written drama. Bummer.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Esther is an 82yo who loves her family, her church, and her Funeral Ladies. She is also a lady who was just cheated out of $30,000 from an internet cheat pretending to be an unmarried young mom who needs help. Esther didn't think a second thought - her new friend needed help, so she gave it. But now it is Esther who needs help - she is about to lose her house because she can't pay the mortgage.

Cooper just lost his mom; okay, maybe she was technically she was his stepmom, but she was the only mother he ever had, and has come to Ellerie County to bury her, with his little half-sister and Food Channel-famous dad.

Iris loves her grandma Esther. She may be falling in love with Cooper. But between trying to save Esther's house with a cookbook of funeral fare and dealing with Cooper's issues, how can she save herself?

I loved this book - it reminded me of the people I grew up with, but without the drinking (our funeral ladies were Baptists, so they were teetotalers). You feed people when they are sad, or happy, or even just hungry. It's just what you do.

This was a quick, enjoyable read with a few notable content warnings - heavy drinking, PTSD, cancer and identity fraud - and memorable characters spanning multiple generations. It reminded me of J. Ryan Stradal's portrayal of Midwestern families and small towns, with fully fleshed out characters not just stereotypes. I would recommend this to nearly any Midwesterner, who will appreciate what they recognize in its pages, and to any reader who enjoys family dramas with a mix of light and heavy topics.

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was a tale of two books. At the 30% mark, I thought this would be an easy five-star read. Unfortunately, by the 60% mark, I realized the book I wanted was not the book I was getting. I thought I was getting a book about the funeral ladies. I thought I was getting a story where a community cookbook would bring the other characters together, and they would cook their way through their grief, perhaps a sweet, small-town romance. However, that is not this story.

Sadly, the funeral ladies rarely make an appearance. The focus is the romance between Cooper and Iris, and yet the romance is poorly executed. After their first initial scenes, I never rooted for them. I actively hated them together. There is nearly no joy in this book. The story is overwhelmed by trauma. I could barely catch my breath.

I also had a problem with the story encouraging excessive drinking to the point that drunk driving is no big deal.

The Funeral Ladies left me feeling hopeless and exhausted. I can see several people loving this, but I am not that person.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Esther has been cooking for funerals for seventy years. Along with her friends, dubbed “the funeral ladies”, they have kept the Northwoods of Wisconsin mourners fed as her motto is that there’s very little a casserole and a piece of homemade pie can’t fix. When Esther makes a very big mistake on the World Wide Web, she’s about to lose her beautiful house on the lake, a house that’s special to her family and holds so many treasured memories. Embarrassed by her situation, she doesn’t want anyone to know her circumstances, but it’s hard to keep those kind of secrets in her family and from the funeral ladies. Soon they are scheming to find a solution to Esther’s situation with the help of her granddaughter and her close knit group of friends. They have come up with the idea, but there’s no chance that they can come up with the funds needed in their own small town, but Esther refuses to play the poor is me, do good widow card. When a famous celebrity-chef comes to town for his wife’s funeral, he just might be her saving grace, that is, if she lets him help out. But he has his own set of issues to deal with, his children are estranged and want nothing to do with him. Esther’s granddaughter, Iris, falls hard for his son, Cooper, but Copper, too, is dealing with some serious issues of his own. After witnessing a crowd shooting as an EMT, he is dealing with PTSD. Will Esther and her friends be able to save her home and will Cooper get the help he needs to overcome and forgive before it’s too late? While this deals with some pretty tough subjects, its characters are unforgettable and the funeral ladies will soon leave a smile on your face and warm fuzzies in your heart ❤️ Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This was such a break from the typical books that I read. And I loved every minute of it.

It was much slower paced then the high action packed fantasy I've found myself ready more often lately. And having that break was needed.

I loved how light hearted and whimsy almost this book was.

I I loved the every day feel this book gave me. And just solidly fell into the pages and enjoyed my time eith these fun women.

Ever so charming! Claire Swinarski seems to have captured the essence of a group of Midwestern “church ladies” as well as the northwoods of Wisconsin, and the result is a mostly heartwarming, cozy story I read in a day. The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County is at its best when focusing on friendship, family, food and community, and Swinarski’s prose evokes the peacefulness of the beautiful setting in Ellerie. Layered into the tale is a strand regarding PTSD and its manifestations, however, and while it is timely - and the book’s message pertaining to gun violence of critical importance - the level of detail regarding the experienced trauma does not always serve the story well.

Three and a half stars rounded up for the gorgeous depiction of northern Wisconsin and delicious home-cooked meals. I am now craving a good cherry pie!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book was...okay. It wasn't what I expected going into it, especially from the title.

In the beginning, I was loving the vibes of the book - small town, a friend group of older women, cooking/baking, family, found family. I was loving it.

About halfway through, the story took a darker turn and focused more on the granddaughter, Iris and a young gentleman named Cooper. I definitely could have lived with less of that storyline. It took so much away from "the funeral ladies of Ellerie County" - which was the whole reason for reading the story.

Despite the darker turn, the story was still interesting.

The title of this book guaranteed I would HAVE to read it. When you read as much as I do, you look for the unusual, but not too unusual. I'm happy to say THE FUNERAL LADIES OF ELLERIE COUNTY is indeed as good as the title promised. The community built around Ellerie County and it's citizens could be found in most any small town. The scam that starts the drama is sadly typical of today's criminal landscape. The story brings emotions to the forefront and keeps readers invested in saving Esther's home. Claire Swinarski has written an excellent book. I hope we will see this group of characters again soon.

Favorite Quotes:

Esther was from an age where loving your neighbor meant loving your actual neighbor, not just adding an emoji to your Twitter name in times of crisis.

Olivia was pregnant with her first and acted as if it made her incapable of lifting a dirty cup into the dishwasher.

The funeral ladies grouped organic devotees in with PETA activists, war criminals, and people who bought designer shoes. One time Iris’s dad had accidentally brought plant-based queso to a cookout at Esther’s, and they’d acted as if he’d murdered an entire village.

It was so different from Los Angeles, where everyone walked around as if they might bestow upon you the honor of doing them a favor.

Mary Frances had come into the world screaming and never stopped. The nurse kept asking, What’s her name? What’s her name? right after she was born, and Esther couldn’t even hear the question. Her daughter refused to be put down for the first two years of her life. They had her tested for everything under the sun, but she didn’t have any medical problems. Just an opinion, at such a young age.


My Review:

I adored this tale as well as all the inhabitants residing within. The characters were knowable and endearing, as well as amusing and authentically drawn. I fell right into their storylines and felt for each and every one of them as their vulnerabilities and regrets were exposed. Ms. Swinarski’s agile writing was well-honed, well-paced, and perceptively scripted. I’ll be on the lookout for more of her clever arrangements of words.

2.5 stars - This book was not what I was expecting. The quality of the writing was good, but it was so depressing! It starts off pretty light, but then moves into dealing with PTSD, grief, death, alcoholism, etc. The drinking and driving and casual alcoholism were disturbing and even more disturbing that they was made light of. There was a bit of romance, but I didn’t particularly root for them being together after how he behaves. The older ladies are funny at times and are mostly loving and sometimes wise, but man there’s so much wrong there too. One of the main characters flat out says it’s despicable asking for help. They slag off anyone taking any time off work, etc. I think this book will appeal to a select group of people- especially Catholics. It’s very obvious the author is Catholic, so anyone who’s not a fan may just want to avoid this book.
Overall, the book was fine- and luckily not too long, but it just wasn’t for me.

This was such a sweet and heartwarming book. Although it was also filled with hard and sad topics such as PTSD, emotional abuse, and death, it was wrapped in redemption and hope and community. This book takes place in the Northwoods of Wisconsin following a family and the grandmother, Esther, who is trying to save her home from foreclosure and the community that rallies alongside her. In the mix is a famous chef and his family, who collide with Esther’s family initially over delicious pie. Living in Wisconsin, I had to laugh at the comments about drinking in Wisconsin because it is a lot around here. A bit shocking to an outsider. But the Midwest community and love is something to be admired and that’s not just fiction.

Thank you to the author and to netgalley for this advanced copy of this book. I can’t wait for it to be in the hands of readers.

Thank you Avon for a copy of this wonderfully charming read. Claire Swinarski's The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County reminded me of the value in a simply told, but richly stylized, family and community story. Every once in a while I want to put down my thrillers, let go of my romcoms, and dive more into stories about everyday life, of family and small town life, and the little things that make a book captivating in special ways. This book has it, a charm and friendship and a sense that the author loved her story, the small town setting, and loved her characters. The friendship and family notes sing out and I loved reading this book.

A feel-good story about community, food, family and mental health told from multiple POVs as a small mid-Western town bands together to help one of their own in crisis. I really enjoyed this book, especially on audio. It was a heartfelt, easy read that felt like a giant hug and an important reminder about the goodness of others. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Avon Books for a #gifted copy of The Funeral Ladies fo Ellerie County as were all NetGalley access to read it digitally in exchange for my honest opinion. This was a short (~260 page) book that kept my interest and was quite enjoyable.
Esther Larson, a Northwoods of Wisconsin resident, cooks for her church's funerals along with her cohort of similar-aged and like-minded friends, known locally as the “funeral ladies”. She believes strongly that a handmade pie crust and a warm casserole are needed to make the bad times better, and she thinks offering a visitor a beer is hospitality rule number 1, even if it’s 11am.
When Esther falls victim to a scam, out $30,000, her close-knit family and friends come together to help her earn the money back, coming up with the idea of a cookbook made of the recipes used by the funeral ladies - even though they’ve never written them down. While there are feel-good messages, like the town coming together to support Esther, the book also tackles some heavier topics like PTSD, neglect, and cancer. While the overall tone is bright like the colors of the book’s fun cover, I wasn’t expecting those serious topics when I picked up the book.
I really enjoyed this read. Perhaps it’s because my mother grew up in Minnesota, but a lot of the customs of the funeral ladies seemed similar to ones I’ve heard about from my mom, though they probably aren’t considered popular. I loved the families described - both Esther’s actual family members and her found family of funeral ladies friends. Esther’s granddaughter, Iris, was a welcome addition, and I liked following her relationship with her grandmother as well as her relationship with Cooper, an LA-transplant by way of Milwaukee. The family dynamics felt genuine, and I got tears in my eyes by the end. I definitely recommend this one - and even if you think eating french fries with mayonnaise sounds gross, Iris and I will both continue eat them that way!

Read this one if you enjoy:
Multiple POV
Mental health representation
A group of sassy and loving grandmas who cook their pants off
Small towns
Second chance romances

This was a very touching and funny story with characters you will love. It made me miss my Grandma a lot and I found myself thinking of her a lot after reading this.
I think stories that focus on the power of friendship and how important community can be are so relatable and always steal my heart.

Claire Swinarski's debut adult novel is such a delight! The title characters are the women who serve food after funerals in the Wisconsin Northwoods. Esther, one of the ladies, suffers a serious financial loss after falling for an internet scam. While her granddaughter, Iris, helps the ladies compile a cookbook to recoup the stolen money, she also starts to fall for Cooper, a recent arrival in town who suffers from troubling PTSD symptoms.

I loved all the Catholic references and details in this book, including a wonderful young priest character. I was deeply invested in Iris and Cooper's relationship and appreciated the realistic and healthy way Iris dealt with his untreated PTSD. Some readers might be put off by some of the language in the book (especially the use of the Lord's name in vain), but it didn't upset me enough to lower my rating from 5 stars.

🥧 When I finish a book crying in public, it’s really hard for me to make a case against giving it five stars! Thank you to @avonbooks and @harpercollins for giving me a sneak peek of this one. It’s out today!

🥧 So first of all, I just want to say there are parts of this that are so much fun! @claireswinarski’s writing is so atmospheric— you’ll certainly get swept up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin! The funeral ladies remind me a lot of the gals in ‘The Lager Queen of Minnesota’ — they’re hilarious, and their sense of pride in their cooking and their community is so joyful.

🥧 There are also some more serious storylines at play here. I really appreciate the fact more authors are taking on characters who have been impacted by mass shootings. That’s a very real thing in our country, and I think fiction is just one way we can grow and learn about what people are going through. There is one scene in particular that is so gut-wrenching and visceral— it left my body buzzing with empathy and sadness.

🥧 Overall, I just really loved this story. Every character is so well-thought out. Every scene is filled with rich emotions. And I really liked where everyone landed in the end. I can’t recommend this one enough! This is also my first book by this author, so I’m excited to check out more of her work. Again, this one is out today!

Here is my review of Claire Swinarski’s book the Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County. Thank you for allowing me to read the arc!

"The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County" was a rare literary fiction read for me, and like most lit fic books I decide to pick up, I really enjoyed it. This book was emotional, both heartwrenching and heartwarming, and a love letter to the Midwest.

"Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County" was filled with wonderful and complex characters. All of them had moments where I loved them and also where I was frustrated with their actions, thoughts, or beliefs. This is a very character driven novel and I could tell that there was as much love put into writing these characters that these characters had for each other. I will say, while I could keep all of the primary characters straight, I occasionally found myself unable to remember which minor character is which, or if a minor character had been mentioned before.

This book has romance, but I will warn romance readers that if you're looking for a fluffy, lake town romance you will not find it here. That is not a criticism. All of the relationships in this book (romantic, familial, and otherwise) are real, raw, and often difficult. I think this was an asset to the book and worked really well.

As someone born in Wisconsin, and raised in the Midwest, I loved the setting of the book. The references were fantastic (I miss Culvers) and while Ellerie County is made up, it felt very real to me. The Midwest can be a magical place, and this book was filled with Midwest magic.

4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the eARC. All opinions are my own.