Ashes To Admin: Tales from the Caseload of a Council Funeral Officer

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Beautifully written, beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting and serious food for thought for everyone since as she (obviously) correctly points out, we all die.

The author works in England performing the duties that are performed in the US by county public administrators. Tickets are sold subject to the venue or promoter's right to alter or vary the programme due to events or circumstances beyond its control without being obliged to refund monies or exchange tickets. And this book shines a long-overdue moving, funny, fascinating, and important spotlight on their amazing work. Very interesting, well paced book about a council officer’s job burying those who have no-one else who can.From tragic stories like an unidentified woman found on a beach without even her name being recorded, to uplifting tales that illustrate the beauty of celebrating someone’s life against all odds; this remarkable book promises readers an insight into fulfilling a job they may not have heard of before. Evie King is a council worker charged with sorting out Section 46 funerals - funerals for those with no one or no one able or willing to do so on their behalf.

Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Highly recommended and despite the macabre sounding premise, it's one of the most optimistic and cheering books you could read.

I've learned a lot from this memoir (like, who knew you could bequeath your loyalty card points) and it's made me think a little more about my own inevitable demise. In a gentle and funny tone Evie King highlights both the bureaucracy and the humanity that is behind funerals organised under Section 46. In this talk, Evie lifts the coffin lid on the world of a council funeral officer, a job that lurches from the legislative and administrative, via the workaday and practical, right through to the emotional and existential. Where this becomes impossible is when either the deceased has no apparent family or their identity is unknown. Alongside dealing with the standard complaints we expect the council to deal with (bin collections, noise, dog poo, etc), she sees humanity, life, and death in all its strangeness.

I picked this up on a whim after hearing the author on a podcast talking about the book and her job. the author is a fantastic narrator and the perfect person to guide us through this book, the emotional parts and the funny anecdotes too.By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. This is a fascinating book full of wisdom, honesty, compassion and insights, a book that can make you both cry and smile.