A thought-provoking exploration of life's most profound transition • With candor and refreshing perspective, Nancy Cobb infuses the oft-avoided subject of death with light, presenting it as a natural process to be honored rather than feared.  "This meditation on grieving is personal and persuasive — sustenance for the mind and the soul." —Wally Lamb, #1 New York Times bestselling author  “An elegant book ... that lets readers know they aren’t alone.”—The Wall Street Journal“Grieving is as natural as breathing, for if we have lived and loved, surely we will grieve. . . .” Nancy Cobb meets death in the most vital of places—in the lives of everyday people—and in doing so has found a way to make the darkest of subjects more approachable, and the deaths of those she has loved—and death itself—a subject to explore rather than to avoid. Cobb's personal experiences become a point of departure for what amounts to a deeper conversation about loss. She shares moments of her own mourning and draws others into the conversation as well: among them, a bank teller who still dreams of her deceased grandmother, two small children who bury a wild bird in its final nest beneath a maple tree, and a hospice nurse who acts as an end-of-life midwife. Cobb invites us to explore death through the shared humanity of everyday people, allowing their voices to demystify the inevitable while offering solace. Whether you are mourning a loved one, caring for someone at the end of life, or seeking wisdom on this universal experience, In Lieu of Flowers is a deeply comforting companion. Its gentle candor and hard-won insights will inspire you to embrace grief fully while finding light in life's final transition.