#BirthOfAcemetery #NetGalley

John makes a beautiful tribute book to this emblematic cemetery which is the Forest Lawn Memorial-Park. The book is well documented and illustrated.

This was really hard for me to rate - because it didn't fulfill my requirement from the title but it was well written, thorough and interesting.

It is a detailed look from the very inception of the idea of a cemetery and not just any cemetery - arguably the most famous of all in Los Angeles - Forest Lawn. The author has detailed every plan, cost and argument that brought the memorial park known today - into being. With information about the founders, owners and employees - with certificates and paperwork etc as evidence for the story being told.

This in itself was interesting - however, the main object of my reading it was to learn more about the famous residents such as Jean Harlow etc and why the Hollywood film industry embraced this cemetery above all others as the place to reside after death.

Unfortunately, if you are like me and looking to find out about that side of Forest Lawn - this book has absolutely nothing in it for you. If you're interested in construction, planning and building a cemetery - then this is the book for you.

If I had been interested in the whole of the book being about construction I'd have given it 5 stars for that - this author knows his stuff! But because it had nothing in it of true interest to me - I'd rate it 3 stars - so in the interest of fairness - I've compromised and given it an overall 4 star rating .

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Tropico Press for providing me with a digital advance reader copy for my honest and unbiased review