A compelling listen – Deftly weaving strong themes of death’s anthropomorphic form, and scientific process.
For anyone who listens to audiobooks as much as I do, finding an unexpected treasure is tantamount to winning the lottery and, for me, this audiobook was a win of the highest order. Reminiscent of Atul Gawande’s “Being Mortal”, Sue Black gently leads you through her life as one of the most preeminent forensic anthropologists of the modern age. She begins with her early life and what lead her to the macabre career as a modern iteration of a bone gatherer. (Who knew a fear of rats would lead her from zoology to anthropology).
As she talks about her cases, and the impact of death on her personally, I cried. The discussions about her family, the times she didn’t feel like she did enough to ensure a happy end, and the times when she witnessed them in those closest to her, really had an effect on me. Listening to this book during a November night filled me with peace, and a comprehension of that intangible and ineffable thing – A good death. Black’s reading of her own work is calming, the Scottish burr comforting even when the subject is grisly and graphic. She blends scientific understanding with irrepressible humanity seamlessly, capturing the listener’s attention and educating whilst comforting.
She reminisces about her research and work in various humanitarian crises, such as Kosovo, and how her constant research allowed her to give some comfort to people experiencing the worst losses of their lives. She doesn’t make herself out to be a hero. In fact, her no nonsense approach if rather the opposite, but I loved it nonetheless.
After finishing the eleven-and-a-half-hour tale, I went right back and listened to parts of it again. Sue was engaging, entertaining. The sort of woman I would love to have a coffee with. She plumbed the deepest depths of my fears about death, and instead of leaving me hollow and sad I was calmed, relieved, and assured that when I reach the only constant in Life it may not be as hard as all that.
10 out of 10 – For anyone with an interest in death or the science of anthropology, this is must.