Passed on: African American Mourning Stories: A Memorial

Black Studies African-American burial and embalming rituals, funeral services and undertaking industry are all examined in Passed On: African American Mourning Stories, a cultural analysis of death and dying among 20th-century black Americans. Duke University English professor Karla F.C. Holloway combines historical research with interviews of present-day undertakers and others as she chronicles the discrimination and violent threats faced by black funeral parlor owners; the development of rituals like open-casket services and processions; and the influence of disproportionately violent black deaths on mourning practices. Punctuated with Holloway's personal stories (including that of her son's death), the book is an elegantly written survey for general readers and cultural historians alike. ( Feb.)