We All Know How This Ends - by Anna Lyons & Louise Winter

About the Book

Life. Death. Whatever. is a new approach to death and dying, showing how exploring our mortality really can change our lives.

Book Synopsis

Life. Death. Whatever. is a new approach to death and dying, showing how exploring our mortality really can change our lives.

End-of-life doula Anna Lyons and funeral director Louise Winter have joined forces to share a collection of the heartbreaking, surprising and uplifting stories of the ordinary and extraordinary lives they encounter every single day. From working with the living, the dying, the dead and the grieving, Anna and Louise share the lessons they've learned about life, death, love and loss.

If we acknowledge and accept our mortality, can we live a better life? If we embrace the end of life in the same way as we embrace the beginning, can we transform our lives? This is a book about life and living, as much as it's a book about death and dying. It's a reflection on the beauties, blessings and tragedies of life, the exquisite agony and ecstasy of being alive, and the fragility of everything we hold dear. It's as simple and as complicated as that.

Review Quotes

"wonderful" --Griefcast

"encouraging and inspiring" --Kathryn Mannix, palliative care doctor and author of With The End in Mind

"We don't have to think about death and dying all the time but when we want to - or are forced to - how wonderful to have a manual to sustain and guide us through it all" --Sarah Brown

"This book is one of the most important I've ever read. I couldn't put it down" --Clemmie Telford

"A truly compelling read that proves why it is so desperately important that we speak openly about death; of others' and the prospect of our own" --Elle Wright

"Kindness, wisdom, and sensible advice for grappling with our common fate" --Caitlin Doughty

"Anna Lyons and Louise Winter are no strangers to death. Between them, they have years of experience working closely with the dying and the bereaved. In their book Life. Death Whatever. Lyons and Winter blend practical information with compassionate advice which at times is less about dying and more about living. Full of real-world advice and hard-won insight, this is an honest, touching, and essential guide for each and every one of us for whom 'death is the future'" --Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of The Butchering Art

"This book is a total breath of fresh air and so needed for anyone who thinks dying isn't going to happen to them because, um, it is. It's a guide to death and dying that won't scare the hell out of you and will in fact make you wonder why the heck you'd never considered how you want to die. A must read for all mere mortals" --Kris Hallenga, founder of CoppaFeel!

"There is no formula for navigating your way through grief, or for dealing with the death of someone and I've been told so many times that there is no manual. But Life. Death. Whatever. is about as close to a manual as you're ever going to find" --Steve Bland

"This book is vital - it should have been written years ago!" --Charlotte Philby

"a jewel of a book" --Fran Hall, CEO of The Good Funeral Guide

"An intelligent, thought-provoking and comprehensive roadmap through life, death, whatever. Sensitively written and absolutely clear as day. I wish this book had been around when I lost my mother" --Ryan Riley

"Honest, helpful and healing; the emotionally intelligent guide to demystifying death, so we can live better lives" --Rosa Hoskins

"Practical, uplifting advice ... a manual for life and living - and embracing everything that life has to offer. Including the end." --Country & Town House

"A fascinating book ... something every single one of us needs ... I've never read a book like this before" --Jo Good, Radio 2

"A fantastic resource" --Georgina Godwin, Monocle

"The conversation is open and honest and I don't think I have read any other book that will have taught me as much as this one." --Katie Hickey, Tipping the Balance Podcast

"This should be required reading for all the living." --Booklist

About the Author

Anna Lyons is an end-of-life doula and Louise Winter is a progressive funeral director. Together they're the team behind Life. Death. Whatever. Their joint mission is to redesign the dialogue around death and dying, to open it up and to find new approaches to this important subject. They believe that death is a normal part of life and dying is part of living. Acknowledging and accepting that one day we will die is fundamental to living a full life.