Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematorium by Caitlin Doughty - Non Fiction - Paperback

Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781782111054
Publisher: Canongate Books
Age Range: Adult (18+)

Overview:
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is Caitlin Doughty's New York Times bestselling memoir of her first year at a crematory, and a candid, funny, moving look at how we die and why we rarely discuss it. Part confessional, part cultural history, it pulls back the curtain on the funeral industry, tracing death rituals from ancient Rome to modern Los Angeles. Ideal for curious readers, sociology and history fans, and anyone drawn to memoirs that challenge taboos with wit, it's a genuinely fresh, thought-provoking read.

About the Book:
At twenty-three, Caitlin Doughty took a job at Westwind Cremation & Burial, expecting little more than a paycheque. Instead, she found herself operating crematory retorts, shaving the faces of the deceased, and quietly absorbing the grief of strangers. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes charts that steep, surreal education, following Doughty from her first uneasy encounter with a corpse through to her growing conviction that Western culture's fear of death does more harm than good. She writes with disarming honesty about the physical realities of cremation, balancing grim mechanics with genuine warmth and gallows humour, recalling odd family requests, unexpected tenderness, and her own shifting attitudes toward mortality. Interwoven throughout are historical and cross-cultural detours, from Victorian mourning customs to Japanese funerary rites, situating her story within a larger conversation about how societies have handled death. The result educates as much as it entertains: readers come away understanding embalming, cremation, and the funeral trade far better, while being nudged to consider their own mortality with less dread and more curiosity. Doughty's prose is sharp, self-deprecating, and unafraid of dark comedy, yet never loses sight of the dignity owed to the people she cared for. This combination of unflinching detail, historical depth, and genuine compassion has made the book a favourite for reading groups and death-positive communities alike.

• Written by a practising mortician, offering rare, first-hand authenticity.
• Blends memoir, history, and cultural commentary on death rituals worldwide.
• New York Times bestseller praised for its dark humour and honesty.
• Demystifies cremation and the funeral industry in accessible, engaging prose.
• Sparks reflection on mortality, making it a popular book club choice.
• A thoughtful, conversation-starting gift for curious, open-minded readers.

About the Author:
Caitlin Doughty is an American mortician, author, and founder of The Order of the Good Death, a non-profit that helped launch the death positive movement. She owns a Los Angeles funeral home and created the "Ask a Mortician" web series, and has spoken widely on funeral industry reform. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is the first of her bestselling books exploring death, dying, and the rituals that surround them, drawing on her own experience working the funerary frontlines.

Why You'll Love This Book:
Funny, unflinching, and quietly moving, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes turns an uncomfortable subject into a page-turner. Perfect for readers who loved Being Mortal or When Breath Becomes Air, it's a memoir that lingers long after the final page.

Please Note: Cover design may vary slightly; this is the current UK paperback edition with the ISBN as shown.