obittersweet: Life Lessons from Obituaries

A Special Book for this Pandemic Age   “using mere words, we try to breathe life into a few memories and milestones, to catch a glimpse of someone no longer with us...” A fascinating collection of essays –organized for each month of the year – inspired by real obituaries and filled with quirky anecdotes, interesting perspectives, and thoughtful observations. Whether you have an insatiable curiosity about people, an appreciation of the craft of writing, or may be a connoisseur of the art of living, Obittersweet is a book to be cherished. “...a funny and smart read that turns a popular pastime into witty life advice...” Catherine Dawson March, The Globe and Mail “Tamara Vukusic has a lovely knack of highlighting her favorite obits and turning them into nuggets of golden wisdom and humour...A decadent dissection of lives lived by characters whose habits and philosophies are worth emulating. A gentle reminder that it’s not our salaries or credentials that define us." Shelley Joyce, CBC Radio “...thoughtfully written and surprisingly uplifting...We see how the individuals are shaped by their circumstances, the choices they made, the unique personalities they developed and the legacies they left.” Heather Parrott, Associate Professor of Sociology, Long Island University Former reporter, poetry lover, broadcast media veteran and word nerd, Tamara Vukusic has devoured published obituaries for more than twenty years, a passion she shares with surprisingly very many people. She still clips her favourites, highlights the lines that make us feel the loss of someone we wish we knew. Twenty years later, finally, this book! She lives in Kamloops, British Columbia,