The Funny Thing About Death…

Jo Caulfield £17.99 POLYGON

THIS poignant memoir about life, death and grief is a remarkable and cathartic read. The Funny Thing About Death opens with the Edinburgh-based stand-up comedian turned author receiving a gut-wrenching email from her beloved sister Annie, revealing that she has cancer. Yet despite the grim subject matter, this book is not a depressing read. Using her warm and comedic writing style, Jo brings her talented sister, Annie Caulfield, an acclaimed writer of books, scripts and plays, to life on the page.

One of the key strengths of this powerful memoir is the way Jo uses passages of her sister’s work within the text. This storytelling device helps the reader get a real insight into the life of this amazing woman. By using Annie’s own words, the author ensures that her sister is never a passive character in her own story.

As Jo shares the siblings’ history and charts their 1970s upbringing, we get a real sense of what life was like for the unconventional duo; what it was like growing up with Irish parents in England, their experiences of living on Air Force bases, being schooled in a convent, how their relationship developed as they hit their rebellious teenage years and beyond.

These stories offer great insight into the sisters’ relationship, helping the reader to understand and relate to their reactions as they are faced with this lifealtering news.

Jo’s account of her sister’s death and its aftermath is painful but somehow beautiful and uplifting too. She manages to capture the enormity of grief perfectly – the rawness, the surreal aspect and the unique strangeness of it all. She also shares the lighter moments, giving readers who have been through similar experiences the hope and resilience which they need to keep going.

“The

author ensures that Annie is never a passive character in her

story” own