A review by icysedgwick
Past Mortems: Life and Death Behind Mortuary Doors by Carla Valentine

5.0

I'm one of those weird people who wanted to be a pathologist at the age of 8. I'm not sure why, I think it was prompted by a fascination with the ancient Egyptians at school, and a desire to understand how the human machine worked. Plus, I loved the idea of medicine, but not the idea of having to talk to people. Working with patients who wouldn't make small talk seemed ideal. Sadly, that idea fell by the wayside over the years, which is why I find books like Carla's all the more fascinating. They provide an insight into what might have been, but also provide a huge source of comfort. In this somewhat sterile world why dying takes place away from the family, in a scary white world of disinfectant and machines, I feel somewhat soothed by the idea that there will be someone whose job it is to take care of me, to find out what happened to me, and to make sure that I'm not 'alone' after I go. I know that probably sounds mad, but it's one of the biggest things I took from this amazing book. Both funny and sad, painfully honest and raw, yet uplifting and positive, Past Mortems is a wonderful memoir, manifesto, and call to arms rolled into one. All I hope is that whoever looks after me in the PM room cares as much as Carla Valentine clearly does about the dead. Bravo piece of work.