"Not only a fascinating travelogue but also a personal meditation on loss and fate...There is a wealth to discover within these pages."-The Economist
Journalist Sarah Murray never gave much thought to what might ultimately happen to her remains-until her father died. Puzzled by the choices he made about the disposal of his "organic matter," she embarks on a series of journeys to discover how death is commemorated in different cultures. Her travels lead her to discover everything from a Czech chandelier of human bones and a weeping ceremony in Iran to a Philippine village where the casketed dead hang in caves.
Fascinating, poignant, and often funny, Making an Exit is Murray's exploration of the ways in which we seek to dignify the dead-and a deeply personal quest for a final send-off of her own.

Sarah Murray seemed to have an idyllic childhood. Then, at age 14, it all came tumbling down. For the next 37 years she dealt with the impacts of cancer. And she did so in a way that encompassed what it means to be a "hero".