Books You Might Have Missed #1

Every now and then I'll hear about a book on the Washington Post Book World podcast that I absolutely must read, even though I probably would have skimmed over the same book in the newspaper's print version. Case in point: Marilyn Yalom's new non-fiction book The American Resting Place: 400 Years of History Through Our Cemeteries and Burial Grounds.

Yalom originally planned a project connected with a year-long visit to her mother's grave in a Palo Alto, California, but instead ended up visiting 250 cemeteries across the country (photographed by Yalom's son Reid). That may sound like a lot, but Yalom estimates there are about 250,000 cemeteries in America. Historical connections with the past and the ways they are expressed in our burial practices drew her into the expanded project.

For instance, why do so many cemeteries look so different from one another? Immigrants into this country brought their own burial rituals and styles with them. These get played out around cemeteries all over the country. The best place, according to Yalom, for a wide variety of religions and ethnicities on display? Chicago. Jewish, Protestant and Catholic cemeteries all look slightly different, but Yalom notices marked differences even within religious groups. An Irish Catholic cemetery looks very different from a Polish Catholic cemetery. Every difference in how we mourn, even the minute ones, becomes evident in the cemetery.

Yalom also examines differences in historical periods and practices. Colonial graveyards make specific references to the status of women based on family (wife, mother, daughter, etc.), but not men. Yet in recent decades, you see women's gravestones identifying their work, voluntary organizations, etc. All of this gets you thinking about what other aspects of cemeteries Yalom covers. I wonder how much she talks about the graves of children or criminals. (Does she mention pets? I don't know.) I haven't even picked up the book yet, but I can imagine the photos alone are worth the price of the book. Very interesting stuff. If anyone buys it (or even thumbs through it), let me know.