photo of a wall with different animal portraits

Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter

by E.B. Bartels Author

An unexpected, poignant, and personal account of loving and losing pets explores the unique bonds we share with our companion animals and how to grieve their loss.

Author E.B. Bartels, who’s had various pets, teaches us that pet ownership is synonymous with love and loss. While cultures have traditions for mourning humans, they lack similar practices for pets. Bartels travels from Massachusetts to Japan, ancient Egypt to the modern era, seeking the ideal pet death. She meets veterinarians, archaeologists, and ministers, offering diverse rituals, from traditional practices like scattering ashes to grand ceremonies like funereal processions and mausoleums. The central lesson: there’s no best practice for mourning a pet, except to care for them in death as you did in life and fully participate in their end.

(This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)

 

Comments & Reviews

9/8/2008

this patch is wonderful!