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Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer. Audiobook
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“Compared to front-page news, obituaries are downright inspirational. Writing them is my way of transcending the bad and has taught me the value of intentionally trying to find the good in people and situations. We are all writing our own obituary every day by how we live. The best news is that there's still time for additions and revisions before mine goes to press.” – Heather Lende, from Find the Good
As she was digging deep into the lives of community members, Heather Lende, the obituary writer for her tiny hometown newspaper in Haines, Alaska, began to notice something. Even the crustiest old Alaskan sourpuss who died in a one-room cabin, always had Halloween candy for the neighborhood kids; the eccentric owner of the seafood store who regularly warned her about government conspiracies knew how to be a true friend—his memorial service was packed. When Lende started intentionally seeking what was positive and true in people and situations in her own life—whether it was finding common ground with her opponents on the school board or accepting that her unmarried daughter's pregnancy might be a blessing—she felt happier and life seemed more meaningful, too. Awful events—from recent school shooting across the country to a fisherman drowning in Haines—are always followed by dozens and dozens of good deeds. When tragedy strikes we can choose to focus on the first responders rushing toward the scene or the guys grilling hot dogs for hurricane refugees, and, like yawning, caring is contagious.
There's so much to gain by taking responsibility for your own happiness and nothing to lose. In stormy times like these we have to make our own good weather and Find the Good shows us how.
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“In both the tone of her voice and her positive message, [Lende] radiates warmth and caring for others, whatever their background or how they found themselves at the end of their days…Her narration is down-to-earth—she sounds like a woman you might know in your own everyday life—and her message of positivity is both heartfelt and inspirational. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
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“A gem of a book. It’s honest and funny, reminding us to live in the moment and to pay attention to those around us. A joy to read.”
— Sharon Salzberg, New York Times bestselling author -
“In this cynical world, Find the Good is a tonic. Heather Lende confronts life and death with love and vulnerability…What a brave and beautiful thing she has made with this book.”
— John Straley, Shamus Award–winning author and former Writer Laureate of Alaska -
“Working as an obituary writer could get you down, if you were the kind of person who let it. Lende isn’t…She teases wisdom from the lives her obits celebrate as well as from her own experiences as a mother and grandmother…Each conveys the unsentimental conviction that the good in our lives shouldn’t be overshadowed by their inevitable end.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“The perfect nightstand accompaniment: short, breezy and chock-full of life lessons.”
— New York Daily News -
“Find the Good is wonderful to its core…Page after page of this delicious book is filled with truisms you’ll want framed to hang on your wall.”
— Oklahoman -
“A wise, witty memoir that combines anecdotes about Lende’s work and family with plainspoken wisdom gleaned from her years of living in a small community.”
— Shelf Awareness for Readers (starred review) -
“Simple yet profound…[Lende’s] homespun stories will speak meaningfully to readers.”
— Booklist -
“Optimistic, slightly humorous reflections on living a fully engaged, meaningful life.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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About Heather Lende
Heather Lende has contributed essays and commentary to NPR, the New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler, among other newspapers and magazines, and is a former contributing editor at Woman’s Day. A columnist for the Alaska Dispatch News, she writes obituaries for the Chilkat Valley News and is the author of Find the Good, If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name, and Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs.