This is an interesting book about the spiritual and physical journey of a Christian-ish woman and her fascination with death.  A lot of the book has to do with different cultural expressions of dealing with the reality of death, and occasionally the author comments on her own struggles understanding and coming to grips with the implications of death.  I found the physical observations of different cultures very interesting.  I personally found the author's commentary on death not very interesting.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a book about death. This was straight forward and interesting. Not intended to be creepy, maudlin, or overly sentimental, this book takes a look at historical and current practices and attitudes surrounding death. I liked reading about current trends and considering recent options in the treatment of remains and celebrating the life of the one who has passed.
I requested and voluntarily read a complimentary copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.

Lori Erickson is an Episcopalian deacon, as well as a travel writer. Her latest project has fused her love of spirituality and global travel in “Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper.” For the last year, I have been reading a lot about death and the ceremonies surrounding our farewell to this life. “Near the Exit” seemed like an interesting trip that I could take, without ever leaving home.

Lori and her husband began to travel to places known more for their afterlife, than their nightlife. Starting, not far from her Iowa home, in Chicago, for el Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. She moved on to the temples of Egypt, and then to the Aztec temples and even to places I’ve never heard of—like Crestone, Colorado. Lori met with people from various faith backgrounds and cultures to learn how others cope with death as their loved ones and they near the exit of life.

The author began this journey because her brother had died, and with her mom in the nursing home with Alzheimer’s, she was preparing to one day lose her, as well. As the book progresses, we learn a bit more about the author and how she is processing loss and impending loss. Ultimately, she thinks about preparing for the day she gets near the exit of her own life.

"Near the Exit" is uplifting! I found the writing to be touching and even humorous at times. My husband recently died, so it was interesting to read about the way that others approach death. The overall tone of “Near the Exit” was positive and uplifting. Lori was open to learning from others’ experiences. I think that anyone who approaches this book in that way will enjoy it as much as I did. I think the Maori were my favorite people to read about. Perhaps it's because my husband and I used to watch a show about a funeral home in New Zealand and that helped him to make some end-of-life decisions.

“Near the Exit” felt a lot like a travelogue. It made me want to visit other countries and ask them about how they celebrate someone’s life after it has been spent. I also felt really good about some of the things that my husband chose at the end of his life, the time we spent with him before and after he died. If this book does nothing more than getting you talking to your loving ones about what you want to be done at the end of your life, then I would say you must read this book. But I would bet that it will do much more. You will be thinking about it long after you close the cover. “Near the Exit” was a joy to read!

Thank you to Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Received from Net Galley this wonderful story of travel,religion and history. The characters come alive through their travels and adventures. If makes you feel like you are right there seeing all these historically places.The country is so colorful and made to feel real with so many emotions! You will enjoy this book like I did,couldn't get enough of all the different places

Near the Exit is part travelogue, part history lesson, and part personal reflection, but mainly it is an explanation of death: how different cultures across the world (and history) treat death; how modern individuals relate to death; and how the author has attempted to come to terms with the death of loved ones.

Is it weird to say I enjoyed a book about death? I knew about some of the traditions it describes, like Day of the Dead and Egyptian mummification. Others, like the Māori relationships to ancestors, were new to me. The chapter on Crestone, Colorado was probably the most surprising to me—particularly the section about the open-air funeral pyre. I especially connected to the parts about the author’s own life.

Overall, I found this book interesting, insightful, and therapeutic.

*I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wasn't sure what to expect with this book. To be honest I'm not sure how to describe it now.

The author has obviously spent time visiting other cultures and their beliefs around death. She also visited nursing homes and hospices. i did enjoy some of the chapter titles.

I did enjoy reading this book and I did learn a few things.

Near the Exit: Travels with the Not so Grim Reaper by Lori Erickson is an exploration of death from cultures around the world, both ancient and current. Ms. Erickson is deacon with the Episcopal Church as well as a travel writer and she uses both to examine how different cultures view and handle death. She travels to Egypt and views the pyramids. She learns that death is just one step in this life, according to the Ancient Egyptians. The afterlife is a journey itself with confessions and a heart test with Ma’at, the goddess of truth, harmony and justice. Ms. Erickson then examines the Buddhist approach to death as well as common customs within the Middle Ages when intellectuals would remind themselves that death comes to everyone. She visits the Maori in New Zealand and their cultures of being connected to death as they seek connections with their ancestors. Ms. Erickson also examines the Aztecs and Mayans cultures who viewed death very differently. She also examines the modern approach to death with nursing homes, hospice, the current trends in burials, funerals and grieving.
Near the Exit is an honest and often blunt look at death through the ages and cultures. Egyptians with intensive rituals to prepare one’s body for the afterlife to the Aztecs who practiced human sacrifices to bless their gods. Her observations about modern practices of death are very opening. She realizes it is a modern obsession with immorality as peoples of the ancient world understood that life was limited, and death came to all. It is an interesting read. Although she often distresses at some points and you wonder how this connects to the topic of death. She achieves her goal as she learns to live with death and hopes that we can do the same. I enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Near the Exit
is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Who knew the afterlife could be SO interesting? Lori travelled around the world, and everywhere she went, she inquired on death rituals and practices and this book was the result. She takes the reader on her trip, as she confronts our worst fears (nursing homes) and how other cultures still celebrate the dead, and everything in between. It's part history book, [part celebration of the inevitable, and part how-to book. She never tells you what to believe, which answer is the best, but instead lays it all out for you to take in. Obviously, your influences and experiences, may play into how you take the book, but I look at it as a gentle first discussion of an inevitably we all face. if nothing else, it WILL get you talking about what lies ahead, and that is healthy! I urge everyone to read it!

I've come to this review multiple times trying to decide how to approach this. At almost fifty I'm closer to the exit than the on ramp. So are most of my family members. That's a sad thought.
There's many cultures that embrace death differently than we do. And as a member of the Episcopal church I feel like we celebrate it differently than most. Not quite like Catholics, but closer than others. This is the perspective that Lori Erickson comes from. From the Episcopal church belief that we're all becoming saints and we honor our dead on their own day. I like this book. I learned from it, I'm just struggling with how to describe it.

I hate to say it, but this was a big let down. I'm a huge fan of death. I'm a member of the death positive community, and I actively seek out books like this, books on death and dying, books on ritual, books on our relationship with our own mortality.

This was one of the first that was just an absolute bummer.

Aside from being poorly researched (no, those Victorian people in those creepy photographs were not dead with their eyes open, they were just trying to hold still) and factually inaccurate (no one can force you to be embalmed in the US, for any reason), the religious take on death that could have been incredibly interesting was just... insulting. I have no problem reading books with a spiritual bent (see my five star review of Kate Bowler's Everything Happens for a Reason, another excellent book about death and dying), but the author's own biases crept in in really inappropriate places, going so far as to say that ancient Aztec rituals were both unimaginable and icky, but then blowing off the atrocities that were the Crusades in one throw away line. There were a few good moments in here but I mostly found myself rolling my eyes and wanting the author to check her privilege.

Spiritual travel writer and Episcopal deacon Lori Erickson blends travel, spirituality, and memoir in "Near the Exit." This book documents her travels around the world as she examines death in various modern and ancient cultures. Readers will visit ancient South America, Egypt, and Rome along with modern-day Mexico and New Zealand, and Colorado.
While Ms. Erickson is a pastoral figure, she does not preach in this book. Instead, she explores the death and mortality views of a variety of religions and religious sites. The writing style is engaging, and I found myself enjoying this book about death. I also learned a few historical and anthropological facts and trivia, which is always a plus in my opinion.
Prepare to consider your own mortality as you read this book. But it's not morose. Instead, it invites readers to think about our views of death and look for ways to cope with it, make room for it, and embrace it as part of our lives.

I really am in the midst of embracing death positivity, and this book really encourages that. I loved the merging of different cultures, and while I'm not religious, it was nice to have an understanding of where the author was coming from. There was no preaching, just a positive look at death from various points of view. I loved this book!

Near the Exit, is a fascinating book of Egyptians, Maori, Mexicans, Crestonians, and Italians and a few other cultures and religion ideas on death.
There were ideas in this book, by Lori Erickson, that I can’t comprehend the reasoning, and was for me, quite hard to “get”.
If you enjoy learning historical ideas and exploring how death affects us all, you’ll enjoy Near the Exit.

I LOVED this book. It was fun and really interesting and not at all preachy like I assumed it was going to be.

I love reading about different cultures, and find it especially interesting to learn about different death customs in both the past and the present. Lori Erickson takes us on an amazing journey around the world and teaches us about how death is viewed and treated in various cultures, and you really start to think about what it means to die, and what your wishes may be.

Lori Erickson's book, unfortunately lacks focus. She and/or her editor needed to decide if this book was about the history about the Day of the Dead celebrations, a guide to cultural practices regarding death around the world, or the author's own musings about death.
All of those things hodgepodged together didn't work to make an engaging book.

I was provided and advanced copy for my review.

#NearTheExit #NetGalley

It's an interesting book about death but it's not depressive at all. If you are fascinated about death this is the book for you.

Near the Exit by Lori Erickson perfectly straddles the line between education and entertainment. By that I mean the author shares what she has learned in travels to spiritual locations geographically and emotionally.

Her research comes at a time in her life that sounds quite heartrending. The recent death of her brother coming on the heels of her mother's move to a nursing home naturally would make most of us ponder mortality. In someone who already thinks about and writes about the subject, the decision to explore how others view the subject and share what she has learned is fortunate for us indeed. By letting us join her in the changing relationship she enjoys with her mother, we are given a way to process the journey of living and loving someone with the dementia diagnosis.

Ms. Erickson has a nice casual writing style, it feels like we are having a conversation with her about her travels. It contrasts beautifully with the subject matter making it more palatable for the average reader/layperson. I especially enjoyed the asides, they made me chuckle and sometimes mirrored my internal comments. I would be very interested to read any follow-ups or books of a similar nature by this author. Perhaps something that explores little known or vanished (is that the right word?) religions. Well, whatever she would like to write about; her non judgemental and respectful approach is what really stands out. It is the way in which she approaches each belief system with an open mind and heart that provides the reader with the total experience, we are there in the jungle during the Mayan ritual or in Egypt in the pyramid (I too would be apprehensive with the small tunnels, old air, weight of the structure - you are a better man than I Gunga Din, I could never have done it). I can honestly say that, as of yet anyways, my husband and I have not had a discussion let alone a disagreement about Atlantis but now I do wonder what he thinks about it. He has watched Ancient Aliens quite a few times so I may already have my answer.

But I digress, Near Exit is thought provoking, I am glad I read it. I learned some very interesting things about others and myself. There are things I must figure out for myself and for my final wishes, et al. If nothing else, this book has shown me that our final journeys may be made gentler for all with a little planning. We may find comfort from goodbyes inspired by the traditions mentioned here or come up with something more modern. Who knows? I'm just glad I won't be eaten in the afterlife by a hipp/croc/lion thing .... I hope.

In her riveting travelogue, Near the Exit, Episcopal deacon Lori Erickson proves that you don’t have to travel far from home in order to go on a spiritual journey.

While dealing with her own deep and personal grief surrounding the death of her brother and her mother’s progressive dementia, Erickson decides to confront the specter of loss head on. She goes on a journey that is both literal and metaphorical. As she seeks to process her grief, she travels in order to learn about the ways different cultures process death. I was particularly fascinated by her travels in Egypt, New Zealand, and Mexico; however, the most poignant chapters for me were the ones in which she explored the world of hospice care and her mother’s nursing home. Like Erickson, I also work in the church, and I found her spiritual meditations on the end of life to be deeply thought provoking.

I read this entire book in one day. I simply couldn’t put it down. At times, Erickson’s heartfelt prose brought me close to tears. I’m at the age where I need to admit to myself that I will probably never stand in the shadow of the pyramids or climb the steps of an Aztec temple, but Erickson’s writing helped me to feel as if I was really there. More importantly than that, she reminded me that we do not need to travel farther than this moment in order to encounter the wonder of God’s miraculous presence. Her writing is a testament to the beauty of mindfulness and the preciousness of the present.

I plan on referring to some of Erickson’s anecdotes in my upcoming sermon for All Saints Sunday. If you’re a fan of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes or the HBO series Six Feet Under, you’re certain to enjoy this book- especially if you are of the spiritual persuasion.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and options are my own.

Don't let the fact that Lori Erickson is an Episcopal deacon deter you from reading this book; her spiritual background is only part of the wonderful mosaic of Near the Exit. Her exploration of attitudes toward death and dying in different cultures and time periods all over the world is an enlightening and ultimately hopeful journey that will make you grateful for each breath you have. Highly recommended!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.