While many of the tales show how the funeral business has changed over the years, the stories also serve to humanize the death care profession and those who work in it.
~Ronald L. Baker, author of Hoosier Folk Legends
For years I've heard funeral directors telling tales of their profession, and they would all eventually say, 'Someone should write a book.' Well now we have one. This publication will be enjoyed by funeral directors and the public alike for many years to come.
~Sidney Fogle, Executive Director, Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky
A fascinating read.... Some of the stories are thoughtful explanations of past funeral customs and ruminations on the needs of grieving, but many are also funny.
~Lexington-Herald Leader
Montell's easy-to-read hardbound book recounts the business of death as told through the mouths of funeral home directors and embalmers from across the state.... This is his piece de resistance and it deserves a prime spot on your shelf, due to the fact it can be read again and again.
~Meade County Messenger
[Montell] is doing what he does best: interviewing people about specific topics and presenting the information he finds. It sounds simple, but it requires a delicate finesse.
~Bowling Green Daily News
Montell's collection documents an interesting change over several decades from families keeping their deceased loved one in their home and burying them in nearby family plots to present-day funeral and cemetery practices.
~Kentucky Ancestors
It is a unique firsthand record of this history and culture of death in Kentucky relay nearly word-for-word to preserve the language, style and emotion used by the people involved in the ears of horse-drawn hearses and in-home embalming to what we find today in funeral practices.
~Hardin Company Historical Society
In Tales from Kentucky Funeral Homes, [Montell's] edited anecdotes preserve many of those traditions for readers interested in commonwealth customs related to 'passing on.'
~Courier-Journal
Tales from Kentucky Funeral Homes is not only valuable for its focus on this locale, but also as a refresher to the way in which folklore should continue to be studied: focusing on actual individuals and their personal experiences.... It demonstrates useful methodological approaches for the study of folklore in an engaging and personal way while also speaking to larger aspects of American culture.
~Western Folklore
Many of the stories in this book happened decades ago, which not only gives readers a sense of early- to mid-20th century Kentucky (and mountain) culture but also allows readers to peek back at customs few are privy to today.
~Director Magazine
The author provides excellent introductions to a vast range of local traditions pertaining to the culture of death. These brief treatments may inspire further research by readers. His well-thought-out introductions tie the various chapters into a cognitive whole, helping to reinforce connections among the many topics he introduces. Montell weaves his material together in such a fashion that the reader never loses sight of his thesis.
~Journal of American Folklore
