Review: A Death in the Family

James Agee (1957)

This book was a hit with my book club, both as a great read and an ample source of discussion topics. Agee’s semi-autobiographical story centers on a family in the days leading up to and after the unexpected death of the patriarch. Though set in 1915, the book is absolutely timeless and will resonate with anyone who’s been touched by death.

A Death in the Family is beautifully written and insightful in a way only someone who’s experienced death first hand could know. Agee relates this huge life-changing event by focusing on the little things, drawing out time in a way that perfectly captures the surreal nature of life directly following death.