RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewSchaap’s prose is characterized by well-crafted, even sublime sentences, erudite literary references and sharp, dark humor ... Vivid ... A patient book, exceptional when Schaap shows us what brings joy to her life after so many years of grief. You’ll find a fortifying dose of grace in these pages.
Kevin Toolis
MixedThe New York Times Book ReviewToolis’s writing is so visceral and profound when he is near dying bodies that the lessons of such experiences become evident — so evident, indeed, that the unfortunate framing of My Father’s Wake as a how-to for urban Westerners feels a bit clumsy and redundant ... Early in the book, Toolis implores us to face our mortality by calculating the date of our death, 'the end point for you.' In the book’s final chapter...he offers this advice: 'If you can find yourself a decent Irish wake to go to, just turn up and copy what everyone else is doing,' and 'take your kids along too if you can' ... I can’t help wishing that Toolis had kept the beautiful memoir of his life-and-death experiences and thrown the self-help curriculum over the city walls to be devoured by beasts. There really is no greater truth than a corpse.
