Outskirts Press, INC.

This book provides a revealing look at one woman's quest to become a funeral director in a "Dead Man's World." The book chronicles the life of a woman, an enigma who sets out to achieve the one goal she set early in life. She was determined to become a female mortician in an industry dominated by predatory men.

Recently separated from her husband and far away from her middle-class military upbringing, we will follow her as she struggles to make a new life for her and her young son as she travels to California during the 1980's. Her journey takes her from a sheltered adolescence in the suburbs of Maryland to the gritty streets of Compton and Watts. After having found out that California had nothing to offer her, she then takes on a life-altering experience by joining the military trying to fulfill her dream. During the course of her travels she falls in and out of the arms of men who take her through a life filled with money, mystery, infidelity and sometimes abuse.

When I first entered the funeral industry, I heard from most of the men the reason they did not like to hire women was because women did not like to do the manual labor that was required in the industry. Funeral service is very labor intensive. There are quite of few women in the business even today that won't embalm, must less, lift a casket or bodies if they don't have to.
These women want to sit and look pretty for the men, families and the public during funerals. What women didn't realize is how difficult it became for women to get hired in the industry. We are stereotyped.
When I first tried to get into the funeral business many years ago, a funeral director called himself giving me sound advice about funeral directors being called to "serve." He went on to say "You'd better get use to it." His definition and mine were entirely different.
I have always dreamed of writing a book about my life experiences because sometimes I couldn't believe some of the things that has happened over the years. This book is about the good, the bad and the ugly. It was difficult to put my experiences into words because I had often thought about how people would judge me. I overcame the feelings of anxiety as I grew older (quite frankly, I just didn't care what people thought!). I do believe that many others out there share my thoughts and probably experiences as well. I hope that you will enjoy reading the book because it can be humorous, sad, enlightening and enjoyable. Thank you in advance for your support.