Death’s Summer Coat by Brandy Schillace Summary

Death’s Summer Coat explores humanity’s evolving relationship with death through cultural rituals, historical events, and shifting social attitudes. Brandy Schillace examines practices like Victorian mourning photography, sati, and post-plague burial customs to reveal how societies navigate grief and mortality. The book blends anthropology, history, and personal reflection to demystify death as both a biological event and cultural phenomenon.

This book appeals to readers interested in thanatology (death studies), cultural anthropology, or medical humanities. It’s ideal for those seeking a non-academic introduction to death rituals, hospice workers exploring historical context, or anyone confronting personal grief. Schillace’s accessible style suits general audiences rather than specialists.

Yes, for its compelling synthesis of global death practices and thought-provoking analysis of modern mortality taboos. While some critics note its broad-stroke approach lacks academic depth, its strength lies in sparking conversation about death’s role in life. The book includes photos, sources, and further reading recommendations for deeper exploration.

Schillace details how 19th-century Britons used mourning jewelry, postmortem photography, and strict clothing codes to process grief publicly. These practices reflected both societal expectations and the era’s high mortality rates, contrasting sharply with today’s often privatized bereavement.

The book shows how mass deaths during the 14th-century plague disrupted traditional burial customs, leading to communal graves and accelerated decomposition methods. This crisis forced societies to develop new protocols that later influenced modern funeral practices.

As a medical historian and editor of BMJ Medical Humanities, Schillace combines rigorous research with accessible storytelling. Her focus on social justice and neurodiversity informs analyses of marginalized groups’ death experiences.

Schillace contrasts Western medicalized deaths with practices like Tibetan sky burials, Ghanaian fantasy coffins, and Indonesian Ma’nene corpse ceremonies. These examples challenge readers to reconsider their own cultural assumptions about “appropriate” mourning.

The book argues that 20th-century medical advances and funeral industry commercialization created societal death avoidance. Schillace advocates reclaiming death dialogue through death cafés, green burials, and hospice care transparency.

Some readers desire more academic rigor, noting brief treatments of complex topics like assisted dying or genocide. However, most praise its engaging balance of scholarship and readability for mainstream audiences.

Like Doughty’s works, Schillace’s book demystifies death for general readers but emphasizes historical analysis over memoir. It complements Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by providing global context to Doughty’s personal mortician experiences.

“Talking about death, and the rituals associated with it, can help provide answers. It also brings us closer together—conversation and community are survival strategies.” Schillace argues mortality awareness fosters human connection and resilience.

As AI and longevity science progress, Schillace’s exploration of ethics in death-tech (e.g., cryonics, digital afterlife avatars) grows increasingly pertinent. The book provides historical grounding for debates about mortality in an age of radical life extension.