Heart and Humanity

"Martin Thompson does a fantastic job of drawing attention to the human duty of caring for the dead, leaning into how those customs shaped community life across society."

-Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

". . . a moving and informative book. . . . I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a detailed examination of funeral service history, its evolution, and cultural practices."

-Luwi Nyakansaila for Readers' Favorite

From the moment the first humans were faced with the death of another, the question has been: What do we do now?

At seventeen, Martin Thompson stepped into his first job in his family's funeral home. In the stillness of that initial night shift, wondering what to do next, he realized that every generation has asked the same ancient question: What do we do now? What they created in answer to that question-those first rituals, those first small acts of mercy-were the true beginnings of funeral service.

Before there were doctors or builders or soldiers, taking care of the dead wasn't a job but rather an instinct-a sacred reflex of compassion that stretches back 7,000 years. Heart and Humanity honors those wide-ranging acts of compassion. From the Chinchorro people of Chile to the Egyptians, from Greek, Roman, and Victorian mourning culture to the modern era, this book features a series of vignettes that depict the traditions-each bearing the distinct faith, fear, and ingenuity of its people-of those who have stood in quiet courage and made a decision to do something to honor the deceased.

Laced with both tenderness and history, this is not a book about death. It's a book about what people have done-since the first recorded breath stopped-to make sure love doesn't stop with it.