Sorry for your Loss
This book follows Kate Marshall’s first year in the mortuary at a north of England NHS hospital, with each month exploring the people she meets, in life and death, as well as her own growing awareness of life behind the veil.
Meet Mr X Found in his apartment months after his death, Mr X has no relatives that can be traced. He is the longest-serving resident of the mortuary, having been there for almost a year while the search for his elusive family continues. The staff talk to him like an old friend, but Mr X is disintegrating and a decision has to be made soon.
Her baby girl has been lost in the 15th week of pregnancy, Mary’s last chance to have a child. Mary won’t allow Abigail to leave the mortuary until she has finished reading a book to her. She visits twice each day, sitting with her baby, reading to her, speaking to no one, until she finally opens up to Kate.
A loving husband and father who has died suddenly of a heart attack. Joe is visited by his wife, his children – and his mistress. On the day that all his worlds collide, Kate witnesses how death can finally reveal the truth of years of lies.
Sorry for Your Loss is haunting, uplifting and informative, with many moments of laughter, and shows us that the way we approach death can make life all the more precious.
5 Star Reviews ★★★★★
Kate wrote this so well, she started out helping hoarders to clear their properties and dealing with some messy and smelly situations. She then decided she wanted to help the dead and took a job working in the mortuary of the local hospital. In this book, Kate documents over a year in her job, leading up to the dreadful covid pandemic. Bringing a view to us that nobody sees, showing us that side of death and how she manages bodies and their grieving families. It's nice to know that after death there are people who treat our loved ones with dignity and respect. There was a little humour in there too which surprised me and I thought it was a really great book.
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What a fantastic, read, it's like I was sitting chatting with her. An incredible insight into so many lives, thank you! It's true we don't talk about death & its impact as we should - it's how we react, for me as a palliative caregiver, it's been an honour. Great read!
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A look at the part of death we often don’t choose to think about, but nice to know that even when our loved ones pass, the people who work in our mortuaries still treat them with dignity and respect. This book is about one woman’s life working in a mortuary and the various people who pass through her care. Some stories are heart-breaking, some funny and some fascinating but all go to make an entertaining read. Moving, reassuring and thought provoking.