The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County
By Claire Swinarski
Adult Fiction
This atmospheric novel revolves around two families in small town Northwoods Wisconsin. Based on the title and cover, I was expecting a cozy read, but Swinarski took her characters into some deeper and darker territory than I was expecting.
Whenever there is a funeral at St. Anne’s parish in Ellerie, the funeral ladies cook up a storm. They believe that grieving families shouldn’t have to worry about cooking, so they load mourners up with enough food for the bereavement dinner and days afterwards. Their latest beneficiaries are celebrity chef Ivan Welsh and his family. The Welshs are a bit bemused at the idea of casseroles made with canned soup, but they are won over by Esther Larson’s homemade pies.
Esther has been part of the funeral ladies group since she was young, but now she’s wondering how long they can go on. Members of later generations, like her granddaughter, Iris, don’t seem interested in helping the group. That is, until Esther reveals that her new online “friend” has made off with thousands of dollars and Esther is in danger of losing her home.
As the summer goes by, Iris hatches a plan with the funeral ladies to put together a fundraising cookbook for her grandmother. She also falls for Ivan’s son, Cooper, but Cooper has wounds from a past trauma that aren’t easy to see. Iris could lose herself trying to save him, which is something that Grandmother Esther knows all too much about.
Though the book ends on a hopeful note, these characters go through a lot to get there. If you enjoyed Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club or Marrying the Ketchups, this story might be right up your alley.
Reviewed by Lynn Heitkamp
Zauel Library
