Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral

Recommended with hesitancy by harper415sc, who I think was worried that the death and funeral aspect would be to much for me. But when the story has things like a character clad in hiking shorts, a T-shirt that says, Why eat when you can read? a baseball hat and a pair of red, high-topped sneakers, I figured I'd keep reading. After all, I am travelling the path of the memory of Bumma's Marvelous Life Journey. Two memorials, (one at a Jazz festival and one at the beach) and the sharing of memories and bits of her possessions and books with her friends world wide.

We did the fabulous funeral bit in a celebration of life before she died -- over 1000 people worldwide sending her notes and thoughts and love that would normally be expressed show more at a funeral or memorial. And her ashes were divided so that they could, at her behest, be scattered several places. Plus when she was cremated, roses from my fathers funeral were cremated with her, along with rosemary (for remembrance) from our yard. She was fabulous in life and remains fabulous in death. So, though there were no red sneakers (there were lime green ones) I've lived a true life version of this book.

I love the idea of live large and love large. I often don't remember to do that. What I found with this story though, was that the characters all sort of melded together after a while. In their quest for strength and understanding the tale became kind of bogged down and mawkish. I came away with only one other clear thought (besides the quote and the reinforcement of live large, love large) -- that is that I love my friends and my family, but I don't have the strength of ego to impose something like a travelling funeral on them. If they did it, it would need to be discussed, not imposed. There's no one in the world I would do that to. For though these women loved Annie and seemingly got a lot out of it, they sacrificed a great deal to carry out her wishes. I just don't think I have the balls to be that selfish.

I may release this book Thursday, which is my brother's birthday -- the first in my lifetime without him here on earth and just over 6 months from his death. My husband and I have plans for a small remembrance of him and of my mom. His death reminded me to live life fully and freely, to take risks, because even when you think you're safe at home in your own bed, you never know what evil may find you and change your world. show less

Annie G Freeman knew she was dying (ovarian cancer), so she planned an unusual funeral. Her ashes were to be scattered over several sites that had importance in her life, and her “pallbearers” were to be several women she’d known and loved.

This is a pretty interesting premise and could have been a decent book. But Radish has given us cardboard characters, and over-written scenarios. I think a 7-year-old could determine the “important lessons” at each of the stops on the funeral route; but Radish doesn’t trust her readers to let them discern this for themselves. Instead, she hits us over the head with long, serious monologues, which are then further interpreted by one of the other women so everyone understands how important show more this was. Puh-leeze!

Linda Stephens does an okay job reading the audio book. She does not sufficiently differentiate all the many female characters to make them easily distinguishable. Still, it’s not difficult to follow. Her emphasis on the “important” parts drove me nuts.

I give it 1 star just because the premise was interesting (and I must be feeling generous, or am just so glad to be done with it). show less

The road to a bad novel is paved with good intentions. Nine times out of ten, when a novelist wants to do me good, or inspire me, or teach me, I end up hating the book. I won't rule out the possibility that I am just a nasty, negative person, but I will go out on a limb with this book and say it's not me, it's Kris Radish. This novel is bad.

The premise is cute: Annie Freeman, who dies of cancer, asks a group of her women friends to scatter her ashes in various American locales that held special meaning for her. None of these women know each other, but while on the trip, they bond with each other based on their love for Annie. Each of them is inspired to change her life for the better, based on Annie's wisdom and example.

Annie is show more incredibly wise, dynamic, funny, altruistic, intelligent, loving. So we are told, over and over and over again. But we never meet Annie in flashback. The author does not give us a chance to form our own opinion of Annie. We are simply told how wonderful she is, and how wonderful her friends are, and how all the strangers they meet along the way are astounded by their love and their womanly womanness. It gets very tedious very fast.

The women on the funeral trip all sound alike, except for the one woman with a penchant for scatological slang. Their conversation reads like a transcript from a feminist group-therapy session: "'I feel ready to open up the boundaries of my own world,' Balinda confesses." These women continually profess their love for Annie and for each other, in a highly romanticized depiction of female relationships, but we never feel what they feel.

My library has a nice section of "how to write" manuals, and I'm sure most of them include some variation of the old advice, "show, don't tell." This novel is a perfect - negative - example for that advice. show less

Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral begins with Annie's ashes being delivered to her oldest friend with a request that she spread her ashes in specific places around the country with four of Annie's closest friends. They clear their schedules and get on a plane, leading them to self-discovery, friendship, clarity, and closure. As a bonus, they all wear red Converse the whole time.

"Annie didn't have many rules for the traveling funeral but we know for sure she wanted us to celebrate her life more than to mourn the loss of it..."

Lately I've been trying not to read sappy books where a character dies because - SURPRISE! - they can really get me down. It was nice for a change to read one that was uplifting instead. If you don't like show more books where everything is wrapped up a little too nicely at the end you won't like it, but if you're looking for something fun and a little thought provoking this is for you. show less

I stopped reading this book a bit back because it made me cry... and for some reason I picked it back up on my birthday (yesterday) and had to finish it.

So very deep & thought provoking.....

"It ain't easy," Lou says, slapping her knees and standing, when they have finished. "I've had a world of loss dropped into my hands, including our Annie, but we're women and we deal with it and we do it in a way that somehow becomes a gift. Isn't that something? Isn't it something how we can take something that is so painful it makes you drop to the floor and turn it into a life lesson that makes you actually glad it happened? That's what women do. We get on with it. It sure is something."

I do believe that this book was a bit over done at times, but show more I liked it none-the-less. I'm not sure I'll read another of the author's books, as I so prefer happier & more entertaining stories. But I am not sorry I read this & I will leave it behind in the "Library" of the hotel I am staying in! show less

Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral, is the story of a woman who plans her own funeral before she dies, makes all the arrangements and then has her ashes and instructions sent to her best friend who must then contact four other close friends to conduct Annie's traveling funeral.  I read this one several years ago, and found I had a different perspective the second time through.  Our book club discussed whether the reaction to the book is based on the age of the reader, or it just wasn't as deep as I initially thought it was.  It was chick-lit with a bitter-sweet message.  This is a book worth picking up if you come across it.  There are laugh out loud parts, and grab your kleenex moments.  But then, isn't that what life is show more all about? show less

It was a fun and witty read about a bunch of girlfriends who hit the road on go on a traveling funeral. At times, I found it wordy and a bit repetitive. Made me think about death and dying and how to keep the ones we lose alive in our hearts and how do you want your loved ones to remember you after you are gone. Loved the idea of a traveling funeral!