This started as a really pleasant story about friendship and family coming together to help one of their own, somewhere about half way through it became a HEAVIER darker story about a man with PTSD. The funeral ladies took a backseat.


Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed "The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County! What a charming & heart-warming mid-western story, centering on a scammed grandma & head "funeral lady", Esther and her savvy grand-daughter, Iris and her romance with traumatized paramedic Cooper. The local cookbook fund-raiser is a real winner & I love that recipes are included which seem pretty authentic to the area & fictional contributors! I also appreciated the "clean" romance & while I was fine with the PTSD inclusion as a plot device, it is something that some readers may want to be aware of. This novel would also be a good choice for a book club. My sincere thanks to the publisher & Net galley for the complimentary DRC, my sincere pleasure to review it!

The magic of this novel lies not just in its endearing characters but also in the community spirit it embodies. As Iris, Cooper, and Esther navigate their respective challenges, a community cookbook becomes a surprising source of solace. The quirky inclusion of casseroles and cream of chicken soup mix adds a touch of humor and authenticity, highlighting the comforting power of shared recipes and communal efforts.

Swinarski skillfully weaves together themes of family, community, and resilience, creating a narrative that resonates with warmth and sincerity. The characters are richly developed, each carrying their own burdens and dreams, making them relatable and endearing. The story doesn't shy away from tackling issues of modern life, including internet scams and the challenges faced by the younger generation in a changing world.

"The Funeral Ladies Cookbook" is a heartening reminder that sometimes, amid life's complexities, a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can offer solace and healing. With its blend of humor, heart, and a dash of Midwestern charm, this novel is a delectable treat for readers seeking a feel-good story that celebrates the strength of family, the resilience of community, and the transformative power of a good meal.

This book had some heavy-hitting moments and some trigger warnings - PTSD, Death, Gun violence, etc. With that said, I really developed an appreciation for the characters, especially Esther. The combination of real-life crisis, grief, community, and found family really brought this story to life. I was content with the pacing, the level of detail, and the overall plot. Overall enjoyed this read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this one it shows the beauty of the small town and how the countryside rally’s behind each other . Overall a good book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

I'm conflicted on this book. I really enjoyed the story of the funeral ladies and especially liked how they rally together to help each other. The part that was difficult was the extensive talk of the PTSD. My favorite character of course was Esther. I would love to hang out with her and glean all of her recipes and cooking knowledge.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

4/5

Overall a charming story about the people of a small town coming together and to overcome. When the head of the funeral ladies at the church in small town Wisconsin is scammed out of her nest egg, can her community rally around her to keep her in her home? With a celebrity chef in town with his handsome son, an ambitious grand daughter about and a charming cast of characters overall a nice read.

I struggled with three things keeping it from a 5 star:
- I do not like mass shootings being used as a plot point, it feels gimmicky and really rubs me wrong. There was a very heavy hand of this in the entire story and I could have done with a softer anchor point
-it got a bit pro Catholicism for my taste
- the way the grand daughter talked about being a Gen Z irked me

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content Warnings
- Language
- Loss of Parent
- Gun Violence
- Extensive talk on PTSD

Rating this one is hard, and I'm torn! I did enjoy most of this book, but there were multiple parts that I had a big problem with and made me want to quit reading a few times if I'm being totally honest.

This was laugh out loud funny at multiple moments throughout but also touched on some very heavy subjects, including PTSD. I loved the quirky/sassy personalities of the funeral ladies. I loved the community of Ellerie County. Everyone supported each other and banned together in times of grief and hardship, true to small town living. I loved the family bond between Esther, her daughter, and granddaughters. These things really made this a wholesome and comforting read.

Here's where I had issues:
Although Catholicism and related practices were woven throughout this book, it in NO way displayed any elements of faith or displayed any characteristics of a true Christian. There were many uses of cuss words, including multiple uses of GD. A 13 year old child also cussed a few times when speaking to her father and legal- guardian brother. In one conversation between two characters, one mentions not even believing while the other said she wished she didn't believe. There was another time that God was referred to "Mr. Hot Shit, "which was very disappointing and honestly offensive.

I can overlook language, and I can accept a character who has different beliefs and morals than me, but the religious aspects of this book just really made me feel some type of way. As mentioned above, apart from that, this was a great great read. I would still recommend this to others.

Thank you, NetGalley, Avon Publishing and Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

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I enjoyed my journey to Ellerie County and my visits with the Funeral ladies! I loved the contrast between gen z and the boomer generation and the conflicts that each deals with in our internet based society. This was a fun read with some deep issues embedded in the story. It gave me a little nudge of “Kitchens of the Great Midwest” probably just because of the setting and culture h the story. 4 stars!

Did not expect this book to take the turns it did but wow I am INVESTED. I’d like to move to ellerie county and become one of the funeral ladies.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read!

The setting alone is like eating apple pie on the holidays! Such a warm-hearted comfort read, the perfect book for a break in your favorite go to genre!

This book a quick comfort read set in small town Wisconsin and centers on 3 POV: Esther Larsen, a stern but caring matriarch, her granddaughter Iris, and Cooper who is finds himself in town for the funeral of his stepmother with his sister and father. I loved the setting- the small town pride and midwestern spirit is strong in this book. I also enjoyed the depiction the small town, the complicated family dynamics, and the friendships of the funeral ladies themselves. This book had me yearning for a community of my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this multigenerational story set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

What I loved:
-The Funeral Ladies—I want to have a cocktail with them!
-The setting of Wisconsin, through most of the seasons. This FL girl loved reading the vivid descriptions of life on a lake.
-The Catholic Church community and 70 years of memories.
-Found family, amongst friends and strangers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy.

I loved this book so much! The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie county is definitely one of my top reads of the year. The Wisconsin scenery is right at home for me (WI born & raised) and I loved the strong friendships that the women have created over the years. They cook together for funeral luncheons where they discuss what happens in their lives. One of the women falls for an online scam, and they work together to save her home. Some really heavy topics are brought up and I think it really made me love and connect with this book even more so. Trigger warnings are gun violence, mass shooting, PTSD, emotional abuse, alcoholism and flashbacks of Vietnam.

“The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County” by Claire Swinarski is sure to be the next big book club hit! The book is very engaging and has a great cast of characters who pull you into the story right away and make you feel like a friend. I love the bond between Iris and her family and Esther and her Funeral Ladies. This reminds me of my own family, friends, and the power of community. Church groups, friend groups, and library book clubs would all be great audiences for this book.

The story deals with some heavy topics and is filled with generational wisdom but doesn’t feel overdone. It is said that children are more like their grandparents than their parents, and we see this play out between Iris and Esther. Both women have boundless compassion and strength. This is both a great gift and a burden. This compassion is what gets Esther into trouble in the first place- she is in danger of losing her house due to an internet scammer. While she feels this is her burden to bear and her mistake, her friends, family, and community quietly rally around her. Esther has made the food for Ellerie County funerals for years, helps others in their times of need, and never once gossips or complains about it. When it is her turn for similar support, she is reluctant. Iris and the Funeral Ladies decide to make a community cookbook to raise funds. This project ultimately becomes bigger than Esther, Iris, or the Funeral Ladies ever imagined. It is an important reminder to honor and cherish this moment in time, preserve those memories, and remember the past. I can see groups reading this book and getting together to discuss it while bringing their own important dishes and recipes to swap.

Some trigger/content warnings would be helpful for the beginning of the book. The synopsis doesn’t mention that a past mass shooting plays a major role in the novel. Flashbacks, PTSD, emotional abuse, and alcoholism are also prevalent.

While I did love this book, I gave this novel 4 stars out of 5 because some of the characters felt less developed and their plot lines felt less necessary to the book overall. Felix’ characteristics changed depending on how he was needed for the plot. In some part, this was due to how other characters remembered Felix, but overall, he felt inconsistent and only written as a plot device. We also started to see some generational trauma be dealt with by both Iris and Cooper, but it would have been nice to see that go further. The ending wrapped up very quickly, and perhaps needed an epilogue after a longer time to really show true growth and change. I’m not sure the mass shooting and PTSD storylines were actually necessary to the book, it could have focused on Esther, Iris, and the lives of the other Funeral Ladies and been just as successful. However, it did allow characters to work through some personal issues. Also, very minor, but the synopsis says it includes recipes and there is only one recipe, and that recipe does not include a time or temperature for baking. Having the pie crust recipe, then an actual pie recipe to go with it may be better. I would have also liked to have seen the cheesy potato casserole recipe, which was mentioned multiple times in the story.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. The story is engaging and powerful. It is a testament to the power of women, friendship, and community. It is also testament to the power of homemade food to heal the heart and mind. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and HarperCollins for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County are known for providing food for those suffering the loss of a family member. Esther is one of those ladies. She naively gives an internet scammer $30,000 to help with their (fake) pregnancy, she is in trouble with the bank and close to losing her home. The funeral ladies (and Esther’s granddaughter, Iris) work together to make a community cookbook to raise the funds.

Cooper Welsh is the son of the Food Network star, Ivan Welsh. When his stepmom dies and they return to Ellerie County for the funeral, the funeral ladies make certain they don’t run out of food. And when their accommodations don’t work out, Iris rents them the cabin that she just purchased.

I liked this book. I love the funeral ladies. Esther is a spunky elderly woman who hates handouts and laziness. While she lives in Wisconsin, I think she will remind you of any Southern grandma. This little group would be a hoot.

There are some tough subjects: death, PTSD, cancer, domestic abuse.

🛑SPOILER🛑

One thing I didn’t like- You find out Cooper has PTSD from a mass shooting while he was a medic. When he starts dating Iris, it’s portrayed as very sweet and romantic. But, then after he becomes aggressive a few times, it starts flashing back to more minor infractions that you weren’t really privy to before. I feel like I would have personally preferred to “live thru” those episodes as they happened rather than more as a flashback. Because it almost felt like it came out of nowhere. That may have been a “me” thing though.

I enjoyed the growth and development 😃 that all the main characters went through in the book. The plot is engaging and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

I Absolutely loved this book! So much so it gets one of my rare five star ratings. Some of you can relate to my admitting that I shoved off a whole pile of work today so I could keep reading and finish this sweet book in one day (and it was so worth it!). Who wouldn't want to live in a place like Ellery with all the kind and giving people? Fun (and realistic) mostly elderly characters who cherish the ability to feed people in need almost more than their close friendships. Can a hug be a book? If this one, then yes!

Oh my gosh. How do you even write a review on a book like this. These characters feel like family before you are done with the story. As someone from a small, religious town this is an incredible show of community and loyalty the residents of small towns have.
Esther, what a complex women (like so many are) having lived most of her life but always striving for more, not just for herself but friends, family and strangers. Fran and Olivia, being so supportive and loving of their family. Iris, I absolutely adore, she is such a real character. She has feelings and experiences I can definitely relate with. I also admire her love for her fellow humans, it’s just amazing. She definitely gets it from her grandma. Cooper, you can’t help but feel for the guy, all he wanted to do was help people. I am so glad in the end he made the choice to get himself help. I just love Ellerie County and adore the funeral ladies of St. Anne’s. The best book I have read this year!

I also have had chicken sisters on my book shelf and definitely will be reading it next!!

In the last few years, I've absolutely fallen in love with Midwestern stories that span multiple generations, from Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club to Shotgun Lovesongs. The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County absolutely hit the spot: it's full of true-to-life characters who love their community (and good recipes!). This book touched on grief, faith, PTSD, and love in such special ways. I can't wait for the world to read it!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

PS: This cover is fantastic