Death and Other Inconveniences

Well, Dick's dead. Now what?

Margo, his widow, is trying to dodge the tsunami of paperwork coming her way. She doesn't want to deal with the details—why do you think she was married in the first place? Dick always handled the drudgery.

Monty, Margo's ex-husband (the first one, not the dead one), is trying to support Margo—who seems to be finally entering adulthood at the tender age of sixty-two. Their daughter Julia knows Margo needs her, but between work complications, and genius-yet-useless brother complications, Julia's gasping for air already. Dead Dick's ex-wife Carole and their daughter Velma consider a Margo a maneater thanks to a few long-ago indiscretions, so the funeral is a nightmare. Life in New Brunswick lately is a tornado of siblings, children, pets, marriages, health issues, and endless bureaucracies.

And at the centre of it all is Margo, living alone for the very first time, trying to endure everyone else's judgements about the woman she is when she doesn't even know herself. Maybe a cat will help. (The cat doesn't help.)

How old do you have to be to come of age?

....and has anyone seen Dick's will?

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Death and Other Inconveniences

At first, the title made me nervous about picking up the book, but looks like Lesley Crewe never fails to amaze me!

Death and Other Inconveniences by Lesley Crewe surprised me in the best way. From the very first piece, the book feels sharp, witty, and slightly uncomfortable, but that is exactly how it grasps my attention outside my comfort. Crewe looks at death not as something dramatic or far away, but as an awkward, everyday interruption that people quietly learn to live with.

Throughout the book, Crewe tells stories about people dealing with aging, loss, and the uncomfortable realities that come with knowing life is temporary. These situations are not dramatic or exaggerated, but they feel familiar and realistic. The characters face small disruptions, realizations, and moments of reflection that slowly reveal how death influences the way they live. This storytelling approach makes the book feel personal and relatable.

What I most enjoyed was the balance between humor and seriousness, which goes with every other book by Lesley Crewe. She knows how to make me smile, laugh, cry, think, and feel all at the same time.

I would recommend Death and Other Inconveniences to readers who enjoy thoughtful writing with a playful, dark sense of humor. The book doesn’t try to give clear answers or comfort. Instead, it simply invites you to think.

I recommend this book.