Book review of All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell

From childhood, demise neither repulsed nor frightened Hayley Campbell however as an alternative spurred her curiosity. So it was solely pure that Campbell, a contract journalist primarily based in London, would interview individuals who make a residing from demise: not only a funeral director and an embalmer but additionally a crematorium operator, a criminal offense scene cleaner, an executioner and extra.

In All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life’s Work (9 hours), writer and narrator Campbell is a probing investigator who elicits sincere solutions from her topics. She can also be an lively observer of their work, even dressing a lifeless man for his funeral. With every interview, it’s clear she is affected by the presence of demise, notably after witnessing the preparation of a child’s physique for a forensic post-mortem. 

Campbell’s voice turns into extra introspective as she considers how the actions of demise staff allow the residing to fulfill demise on their very own phrases. Though ironic at occasions, she isn’t ghoulish. Instead, her tone is at all times even, quietly emphasizing that demise is the most pure factor in the world.