Funeral for a Stranger

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY JUN 8, 2009

As a minister who simply cannot say no, Stevens (Find Your Way Home), an Episcopal priest in Nashville, suddenly and unexpectedly finds herself officiating at the funeral of a woman she knows nothing about. Beginning with her initial decision to accept and ending as she leaves the grave site, the book progresses through a clear narrative structure. Stevens's personal meditations, memories and musings on such an uncommon opportunity shape themselves into more than simply an inspirational memoir. It is also a parable with two themes, using the framework of the funeral to illuminate two difficult steps on the journey of belief: confronting the inevitability of death and finding compassion for the strangers around us. Each brief chapter offers a precise perspective on either theme, sometimes musing on the funeral itself but more often drawing from the author's past experiences, the voices of others and biblical theology. In discussing loss and grief, Stevens's sincerity and insight lends the slim volume a deep, comforting strength, although her discussions on charity for others only offer a hint of their potential. Overall, however, the book will be loving, spiritual balm to those who, regardless of Christian denomination, feel the pangs of loneliness and loss.