Near the Exit
Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper
- Counseling, Grief & Mental Health
- Christian Living
- Publisher: Westminster John Knox
- Published: 2019
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Publisher's Description
“This book’s journey to spiritual places near and far is worth taking.” — Library Journal, starred review Lori Erickson travels to “grim” locations at home and abroad and explores death through the lenses of other cultures. After her brother died unexpectedly and her mother moved into a dementia-care facility, spiritual travel writer and Episcopal deacon Lori Erickson felt called to a new quest: to face death head on, with the eye of a tourist and the heart of one who is grieving and facing mortality. Blending memoir, spirituality, and travel, Near the Exit examines how different cultures past and present have confronted and still confront death, from Egypt’s Valley of the Kings and Mayan temples, to a Colorado cremation pyre and Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations, to Maori settlements and tourist-destination graveyards. Erickson reflects on mortality—the ways we avoid it, the ways we cope with it, and the ways life is made more precious by accepting it—in places as far away and exotic as New Zealand and as close and “mundane” as the nursing home up the street. Throughout her personal journey and her travels, Erickson helps us to see that one of the most life-affirming things we can do is to invite death along for the ride. Perfect for book clubs! Download the FREE Reader Guide: Questions and Topics for Discussion!
Endorsements (5)
“Engaging and approachable for all.”
“As one who has been hanging out with the Grim Reaper more than I care to lately, I took this book in like a breath of fresh air. I hope Near the Exit will help others navigate mortality as Lori Erickson meets us wherever we are and gently invites us on a guided global tour.”
“Is it possible to become comfortable with the thought of one’s own death? Lori Erickson sets out on a fantastic voyage to explore the answer, and, best of all, we get to go with her. From the depths of Egypt’s Great Pyramids to the wide-open spiritual expanse that is Crestone, Colorado, Near the Exit shows us that it is possible not only to chart the landscape of mortality but also to make it gloriously our own. A hopeful and inspiring book.”
“Near the Exit is not a typical book on death and dying from a Christian perspective. It is an intriguing exploration of late life and death that will sometimes cause you to squirm or to laugh out loud. Always though, it will prompt you to think deeply about what it is to be mortal. Author Lori Erikson fearlessly weaves ancient perspectives and cultural expressions about death gleaned from her own travel experiences into the intimate stories of her mother’s life in a nursing home in Iowa. Near the Exit will appeal to anyone who struggles to understand the mystery of death and dying.”
“What happens when a gifted travel writer combines her interests in travel, religion, and death? The result is a fascinating book called Near the Exit , with trips to Rome, a Day of the Dead celebration, pyramids in Egypt and Mexico, nursing homes, a Maori ceremony in New Zealand, a farm in Iowa, and more. Beautiful writing about a trip we all will someday take.”
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