Book Review: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty

Rating: 4 / 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Genre: Nonfiction

Publication Date: 2014

Number of Pages: 254

I checked this book out from my local library originally because I had a curiosity (perhaps a morbid one I guess you could say) about what went on behind the scenes at a funeral home. It’s somewhere I’ve never had the desire to work, but at the same time, wanted to know what a day in the life of someone who does have this job.

In addition to sharing stories and bits of information from the author’s experiences working at a crematory, the book discusses death in general, making it seem familiar in a way that it usually is not. Caitlin does a great job at answering questions about death, her job, and providing a history behind certain traditions and practices. She shares stories of her days working at a crematorium and adds just the right amount of humor in just the right places. She also addresses the very common fear of death and how it affects us as a society. Overall, it was a super interesting read!

Caitlin also has her own website and blog and makes YouTube videos as well. Definitely check her out if you haven’t already!