The solutions were extremely creative and thought provoking. In Japan, Doughty examines the tension between the expectation of honoring and visiting the dead and the practical realities of time, work demands, and lack of physical space. In Bolivia, the Catholic church struggles against the belief system focused on ñatitas, which are wish-granting human skulls, each with a highly specific area of expertise. In Indonesia, bodies are taken out of mausoleums, cleaned, dressed, and posed with for pictures. It was a very fast read, but each chapter was grounded in the stories both of a cultural ritual and of the individuals who keep that ritual and custom alive. Each chapter examines how different cultures and groups, including some that are quite remote and hard to get to, care for their dead, and the rituals that are part of their funeral and long-past-funeral rites. This is a world tour of death rituals, led by Doughty in a conversational, empathetic, and at times deeply funny style. I follow Caitlin Doughty on Twitter and when I saw my library had her new book, I hopped on that hold list.
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