Thanks to Avon Books for a #gifted copy of The Funeral Ladies fo Ellerie County as were all NetGalley access to read it digitally in exchange for my honest opinion. This was a short (~260 page) book that kept my interest and was quite enjoyable.
Esther Larson, a Northwoods of Wisconsin resident, cooks for her church's funerals along with her cohort of similar-aged and like-minded friends, known locally as the “funeral ladies”. She believes strongly that a handmade pie crust and a warm casserole are needed to make the bad times better, and she thinks offering a visitor a beer is hospitality rule number 1, even if it’s 11am.
When Esther falls victim to a scam, out $30,000, her close-knit family and friends come together to help her earn the money back, coming up with the idea of a cookbook made of the recipes used by the funeral ladies - even though they’ve never written them down. While there are feel-good messages, like the town coming together to support Esther, the book also tackles some heavier topics like PTSD, neglect, and cancer. While the overall tone is bright like the colors of the book’s fun cover, I wasn’t expecting those serious topics when I picked up the book.
I really enjoyed this read. Perhaps it’s because my mother grew up in Minnesota, but a lot of the customs of the funeral ladies seemed similar to ones I’ve heard about from my mom, though they probably aren’t considered popular. I loved the families described - both Esther’s actual family members and her found family of funeral ladies friends. Esther’s granddaughter, Iris, was a welcome addition, and I liked following her relationship with her grandmother as well as her relationship with Cooper, an LA-transplant by way of Milwaukee. The family dynamics felt genuine, and I got tears in my eyes by the end. I definitely recommend this one - and even if you think eating french fries with mayonnaise sounds gross, Iris and I will both continue eat them that way!

Read this one if you enjoy:
Multiple POV
Mental health representation
A group of sassy and loving grandmas who cook their pants off
Small towns
Second chance romances

This was a very touching and funny story with characters you will love. It made me miss my Grandma a lot and I found myself thinking of her a lot after reading this.
I think stories that focus on the power of friendship and how important community can be are so relatable and always steal my heart.

Claire Swinarski's debut adult novel is such a delight! The title characters are the women who serve food after funerals in the Wisconsin Northwoods. Esther, one of the ladies, suffers a serious financial loss after falling for an internet scam. While her granddaughter, Iris, helps the ladies compile a cookbook to recoup the stolen money, she also starts to fall for Cooper, a recent arrival in town who suffers from troubling PTSD symptoms.

I loved all the Catholic references and details in this book, including a wonderful young priest character. I was deeply invested in Iris and Cooper's relationship and appreciated the realistic and healthy way Iris dealt with his untreated PTSD. Some readers might be put off by some of the language in the book (especially the use of the Lord's name in vain), but it didn't upset me enough to lower my rating from 5 stars.

🥧 When I finish a book crying in public, it’s really hard for me to make a case against giving it five stars! Thank you to @avonbooks and @harpercollins for giving me a sneak peek of this one. It’s out today!

🥧 So first of all, I just want to say there are parts of this that are so much fun! @claireswinarski’s writing is so atmospheric— you’ll certainly get swept up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin! The funeral ladies remind me a lot of the gals in ‘The Lager Queen of Minnesota’ — they’re hilarious, and their sense of pride in their cooking and their community is so joyful.

🥧 There are also some more serious storylines at play here. I really appreciate the fact more authors are taking on characters who have been impacted by mass shootings. That’s a very real thing in our country, and I think fiction is just one way we can grow and learn about what people are going through. There is one scene in particular that is so gut-wrenching and visceral— it left my body buzzing with empathy and sadness.

🥧 Overall, I just really loved this story. Every character is so well-thought out. Every scene is filled with rich emotions. And I really liked where everyone landed in the end. I can’t recommend this one enough! This is also my first book by this author, so I’m excited to check out more of her work. Again, this one is out today!

Here is my review of Claire Swinarski’s book the Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County. Thank you for allowing me to read the arc!

"The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County" was a rare literary fiction read for me, and like most lit fic books I decide to pick up, I really enjoyed it. This book was emotional, both heartwrenching and heartwarming, and a love letter to the Midwest.

"Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County" was filled with wonderful and complex characters. All of them had moments where I loved them and also where I was frustrated with their actions, thoughts, or beliefs. This is a very character driven novel and I could tell that there was as much love put into writing these characters that these characters had for each other. I will say, while I could keep all of the primary characters straight, I occasionally found myself unable to remember which minor character is which, or if a minor character had been mentioned before.

This book has romance, but I will warn romance readers that if you're looking for a fluffy, lake town romance you will not find it here. That is not a criticism. All of the relationships in this book (romantic, familial, and otherwise) are real, raw, and often difficult. I think this was an asset to the book and worked really well.

As someone born in Wisconsin, and raised in the Midwest, I loved the setting of the book. The references were fantastic (I miss Culvers) and while Ellerie County is made up, it felt very real to me. The Midwest can be a magical place, and this book was filled with Midwest magic.

4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

If you like:
-redemption stories
-awesome grandmas
-Wisconsin (especially Up North)
-casseroles and those who make them
-strong communities
-heartwarming stories
-niche and hilarious Lutheran/Catholic comparisons

Then definitely check out this book! While there were a few moments where the plot lines felt cluttered, I was impressed by how the author captured the Midwest and loved spending time with these characters!

This book kinda ripped my feet out from under me, to be honest. I expected a cute and humorous small-town story that mixed heartwarming family content with a side romance. And, ya know, I got all that… but I also got slapped in the face with a whole lot of trauma, heartbreak, and more sad plot points. In general, that isn’t a bad thing, but given that I wasn’t expecting this and went into it for a cute light read, it was a bit much.

The novel has some incredibly deep and real discussion of both grief and PTSD, both of which I think many books could serve to do better with. I appreciated that immensely, and really enjoyed the scenes among the funeral ladies and other characters that allowed me as a reader to see how they all grew around their grief. I also just loved the character of Katharine Rose, and wanted to give her a hug at all times.

That being said, there were a few things that really took me out of the story and reduced me to a frightful number of eyerolls. For example:
- Every character fucks up in some way (some big and some small), and their internal monologue seems to acknowledge that they know that, but no one acts on trying to correct their behavior till nearly the last 50 pages. Sure, it’s realistic insofar as people can be in denial about their struggles, but it created an infuriating reading experience to just want to shake them all and say “GET HELP!” (looking at you two, Esther and Cooper)
- Ivan’s arc felt a bit rushed, and I would have enjoyed that being stretched or deepened a bit more, as it held my attention a lot more than the other side stories
- Iris continually mentioning she is Gen Z. As a 26yo myself, I can confirm we are actually a cusp between Gen Z and millennial lol, but that’s neither here nor there. Either way, you don’t need to mention it nonstop
- Iris also having this perennial chip on her shoulder about being wayward and not having a glamorous job or knowing what she’s doing with her life… while owning a house at 26. Sorry not sorry, but no one owns a house in the year of our lord 2024 at 26 unless they’ve got generational wealth or some extreme luck. Couldn’t really bring myself to have sympathy for her lack of career passion when she owned multiple properties; it just felt out of touch

The combination of the shockingly somber story plus the irritating little things noted above brought my rating of the book down. I enjoyed it generally speaking, but the marketing presented this as a cozy Midwest comedy, and while some of those elements were there, there was something missing for me personally. Overall, I give this 3.25⭐, rounded simply to 3 here!

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Don't let the cute cover and sweet summary fool you. This book is not a lighthearted read at all which I must admit hindered my enjoyment of it. I don't like being duped by a darling cover.

The story does have endearing and funny moments as character deal with death, old age,community, illness, PTSD, faith (specifically Catholicism), infidelity, family drama and online scams.
There is a fair occurrence of crass language but the romance is closed door and sweet.
Those who are foodies will enjoy all the food references as well as the recipes included at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review this one.

I enjoyed this different read, it is told from 3 different perspectives. It had a few different things going throughout the story. Just be aware of a few different triggers going on; PTSD, grief and loss, and scams. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read it was a nice change of pace.
3.5 stars

First things first -- I really liked this book, but it is SAD. There were so many moments while reading that I thought, maybe this book will turn around and have an HEA. And then something else bad happened. Content warnings for PTSD, alcoholism, death of a parent, cancer.

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County tells the story of Esther, a family matriarch and "funeral lady" who cooks food for funerals in their small Wisconsin who gets scammed by someone on the internet's fake sob story and loses enough money that she might lose her house, Iris, her granddaughter who is determined to figure out a way to help Esther keep the house, and Cooper, who is in Ellerie for his mom's funeral, along with her little sister and his dad (who hasn't been present at all in the last few years) and who is also struggling with PTSD from being a paramedic at a parade where there was a shooter. Their stories, plus Cooper's sister and dad's stories, and the stories of the other funeral ladies, are woven together so beautifully. Esther's late husband also had PTSD from Vietnam (though of course that wasn't what it was called), and when she sees Iris and Cooper falling in love, she tries to intervene in some way, because she knows what it's like to care for a partner with PTSD. Cooper's dad is a famous Food Network chef, and when Iris comes up with the idea to sell a cookbook full of recipes from Ellerie County to raise money so Esther can keep her house, Cooper wants to help -- and he wants his dad to help, too.

I did cry while reading this book, but I also laughed. There were some things that were so funny, and moments that were so sweet and tender. So many ways that showed the closeness of family, including your chosen family. But, wow, this book was a tough read. It ends on a slightly hopeful note, but it is tough. So know that going in, and take care of yourself while reading, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with an eARC of The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun read!
Definitely a story that makes you think of your grandmother.
There are many characters to keep track of!
The story is told in 3 POV’s which I found confusing in the beginning of the book.
I enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. This is my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski in exchange for an honest review.

Esther, a widowed grandmother and soon-to-be great-grandmother, is scammed out of $30k by an anonymous person online, putting her home at risk of foreclosure. Her granddaughter Iris, in an attempt to save the family home, proposes a community cookbook written by Esther and her other "Funeral Ladies", who make food for funerals in the community. At the same time, we are exploring the life of Cooper, a visitor to Ellerie County with worsening PTSD and an estranged relationship with his father, on his journey to treat his condition.

This novel gave off cozy, grandmotherly vibes in many ways. I appreciated the perspective on relationships between couples and between communities across generations.

However, I was overall dissatisfied with the book. I loved the small town, country feel of the overall novel and the plotline of the scammer + cookbook solution, but I could have gone without the Iris/Cooper plotline(s). I felt like there were two different ways the plot could have gone that would have been way better than the plot that was chosen. It could have been a book focused on Esther and her Funeral Ladies fixing Esther's problem with the scammer by way of the community cookbook and the community's involvement, with Iris and Cooper's relationship happening in the background, OR it could have been a book where Esther and her Funeral Ladies band together to investigate the scammer situation and the whole community gets involved.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Publishers and Avon & Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review an absolutely delightful book, The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County, by Claie Swinaski. The opinion expressed is my honest review. It is a wonderful story about: family, commitment, perseverance, grief, friendship, PTSD, recovery, faith and above all love. The characters are so real that I felt I knew them when the book ended; the storyline captivated my interest and my heart, and I did not want it to end.. The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County is a heartwarming story, a breath of fresh air in these challenging times. 4 stars.

I love this cover!!!

As i was reading this book, it definitely was not what i expected. There is several different things going on in this book...... PTSD, Romance, Death and a scam with a woman getting doped out of $30K and what they are doing to save her house.

As the story goes on it definitely gets interesting. I would recommend and will read more from the author.


Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Growing up in the south as a pastor's kid, I have seen many funerals. I also know that Esther's belief that, "there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can't fix," is one that I too hold. I have a MAJOR soft spot for elderly people and this book filled my heart with so much emotion! Grief, loss, and the feeling of being left behind by life are theres in this novel. There is such a sense of community in small towns when there is a loss, and Swinarski does a beautiful job of representing that in this work.

What to expect:
* Themes of grief and loss
* 3 POV’s
* Talk of PTSD


Massive thank you to NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager, as well as author Claire Swinarski for this ARC! *All opinions are my own*

This was great! I did get a bit bogged down at times at its sniping against certain political parties as well as the idea that you don't have the power to change anything politically but, otherwise, I loved this book. The characters felt real, the setting was wonderful and the sense of food and community will keep me coming back to read this one again. I would definitely recommend, especially if you like books by J. Ryan Stradal (one of my favorites!).

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County comes out next week on March 12, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

But they all knew her. They'd known her for years as sweet Esther, Esther with the good piecrust, Esther who could sew any button back on their blouses and drive the homework they forgot to school. Not Esther with a brain. Esther with desires. Esther who had thoughts about welfare and gun control and school shootings. Hazel listened, and she didn't pat Esther's hand and ask if she needed anything from the fridge. There was something so nice about talking to someone who wasn't going to see you run out of breath on a walk around Turtle Pond. Hazel told stories, too-funny ones, about her nights out with her friends. Until she got into trouble. Well, Esther should have warned Hazel. Or her mother should have. But nobody did. Esther owed it to her, really.

This was such a fun read! I love the style of writing, the characters, and the meanings. A huge part of the book is the emphasis on family and community and supporting each other.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the way the author immerses the reader in the world. Instead of pausing every few lines or paragraphs to explain a place or person, the author just says the name of a place or person and we learn from context clues about it, or we just get a name for effect. I didn't know for a while what "Moose Junction" was, but it became clear that it was an area nearby.
Another thing I loved was how she writes characters' internal thoughts. The ways that the characters think to themselves and <spoiler> in some cases of Cooper calming himself down and reassuring himself </spoiler> , are incredibly similar to how I talk to myself in my own head.
I had the hardest time with stomaching some of Esther's parts, specifically <spoiler> her pride that won't allow her to accept help, her "that's not the way things are done" out-dated attitude, and her judgment of younger generations </spoiler> . I like Esther as a character, and empathize with her issues such as <spoiler> getting older and the assumptions people make about older people as well as deteriorating health, having lost a husband, having had a severely traumatized husband </spoiler>, but it was difficult for me as a person who does not agree with some of what she says/thinks to read those thoughts.
I also thought it was super interesting and valuable to include <spoiler> trauma and coping with trauma </spoiler> in the book. It really emphasizes the complexity of people and their value as people regardless of past experiences.

I enjoyed The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County. I wasn’t expecting for it to take back in time when after a funeral, you had the mourners in the church hall. You will be invested in the characters in the book and how they support each other. A wonderful small town story. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager. This is my own opinion.

This book covers many facets of life, staying in a small town, the impacts of PTSD, the support of women to each other, the power of food and family recipes, the secrets to a good recipe and the importance of opening yourself up to others. This book is told from 3 POVs: Esther, the beloved grandma; Iris, her granddaughter and small town enthusiast; and Cooper drawn to town for his stepmom's funeral who then falls in love with Iris.
Esther and her friends have made countless casseroles, pies, and cream of something sides for the funerals of Ellerie County for as long as they have called the Northwoods of Wisconsin home. They are the behind the scenes helpers, keeping life smooth. When Esther falls for an internet scam that leaves her family home in peril, the Funeral Ladies - and Esther’s family - rally together. They have an unexpected help in Cooper Welsh, the son of a Food Network star and beloved daughter of Ellerie, home for his mother’s untimely funeral. When Cooper strikes up a relationship with Esther’s granddaughter Iris, Esther sees the beginnings of her own love story with her husband - complete with very familiar complications. I enjoyed the story and the vivid descriptions of Northern Wisconsin showing the beauty of our country.

Thank you to @NetGalley, @claireswinarski and @avonbooks.