Happy Death Club (Essays on Death, Grief & Bereavement)

Anthropologist Naomi Westerman was studying death rituals around the world—when her whole family died.

Upon losing those closest to her, Naomi Westerman saw that death was more than just an abstract academic concept; it was a deeply painful and personal experience. She became fascinated by loss and grief, and hoped to cope and demystify death by turning to history, art, and pop culture.

Happy Death Club examines the many faces of death and grief in Westerman’s own life and in cultures around the world. From expensive coffins and unconventional burials to horror films and true crime, what does our treatment of death and dying have to tell us about how we live our lives? What makes a “good death”? And who owns our bodies before and after we die?

Both meaningful and darkly humorous, Happy Death Club presents a frank, curious look at this universal human experience—one we’re often too afraid to talk about—and what lies beyond.