“We had to summon the world of the dead for Marion Waller’s world to reveal itself before our eyes. Tender, empathetic and passionate.” – Margaux Gable – Libération

The room we make for our deceased loved ones is indicative of how our society has evolved. With individualism on the rise and religious belief falling, our funeral rites have become insipid – hurried, cobbled together, and botched. Yet death is real, tragedy is too, and sweeping it under the carpet does a disservice both to the memory of the deceased and to the well-being of the living.

More and more families are choosing cremation. With no welcoming place of remembrance and insufficient assistance, we often wind up disappointed and left to our devices at a difficult time. Yet new non-religious rites are being developed in France and elsewhere in Europe. They enable a different relationship with death, which is both more realistic and soothing.

This book shows us that we need to re-learn to say adieu, as well as how to do that. It offers us a way to make room for the dead in society, for the sake of the living.