What do you think?
Rate this book
Undertakers, Harlots and Other Odd Bodies: Inspired by True Events and Smothered in Blarney
Set in 1895, when life was hard and death was not for amateurs, Undertakers, Harlots and Other Odd Bodies is a galloping gaslit tale of Victorian incompetence, set on the least fortunate riverbank in Maryland. Women and men of motley descent vie for independence while learning their trades the hard way. Heartbreaking and hilarious at turns, its unreasonably hopeful characters wend their way toward the new century and a new kind of home, finding friendship in a place where they have little reason to expect it.
The undertakers strive to gain the trust of a very un-trustworthy clientele, while avoiding the attention of casually corrupt authorities and the possibility of burying anyone ahead of time. Led by a woman who yearns to claim her own profession, they cater to anyone who will have them, heedless of danger or payment.
They just might find fortune in this most unlucky place. Or not.
The undertakers strive to gain the trust of a very un-trustworthy clientele, while avoiding the attention of casually corrupt authorities and the possibility of burying anyone ahead of time. Led by a woman who yearns to claim her own profession, they cater to anyone who will have them, heedless of danger or payment.
They just might find fortune in this most unlucky place. Or not.
268 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2018
19 people are currently reading
1266 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 25, 2018
A great, signed by the author, very different story, set a long time ago. It centered around 3 main characters that were all new undertakers in a very small town. Very quirky, kind of funny but really entertaining in a fresh manner. A Goodreads Giveaway present that entertained. Thanks Mege Gardner. I hope you write a sequel.
July 31, 2018
Enchanting!
I love spending time in the company of these odd bodies, and I'm so happy there will be more. The setting is strange, and I mean that in the best way - the turn of the century yields many changes, and Gardner sheds thoughtful light on vital social issues that are still relevant today. It's a playful and meaningful book, a joy to read.
I love spending time in the company of these odd bodies, and I'm so happy there will be more. The setting is strange, and I mean that in the best way - the turn of the century yields many changes, and Gardner sheds thoughtful light on vital social issues that are still relevant today. It's a playful and meaningful book, a joy to read.
February 5, 2019
An entertaining irreverent story at the beginning becomes a compassionate honest write about finding one's own way in a crazy world and never giving up on our dreams.There were a lot of layers and the characters were well built and easily relatable.I was given a free copy of this book for an honest and open review will be passing along to my bookclub namaste :)
May 26, 2019
Read More Book Reviews on my blog
It's Good To Read
Summary:
Set in a forgotten town called the Port, at the turn of the twentieth century, the novel follows the lives of Samuel and Helen, as they struggle to grow their undertaking business, and their relationship.
Main Characters:
Samuel Keegan: A newcomer to the town, he is the second son of a wealthy family, and possibly suffers from dyslexia. He is also a 30-something virgin, and terrified of intimate contact with women.
Helen Driscoll: Strong-willed daughter of a dominant Methodist father, she struggles to break the confines and roles that society sets for her. Her religious background infuses her with a strong morality.
Eggers: The third partner in the business, he is a man-about-town, well-connected, yet has his own demons which surface after a few beers.
Minor Characters:
The Countess: The Madam of the best little whorehouse in the Port. She is good to her employees, but never loses sight of the fact that they are her stock-in-trade.
Gertie: Helen’s formidable grandmother, who forms her only real link when there is familial trouble.
Plot:
Helen knows how her life has been planned out. Her role is to take her mother’s place, and serve (!) the men who work the farm, i.e. her father and brother Wallace. This is not a democracy, and she has few rights in that household. Her father, and later her brother, seek to control all the girls in the house, in a very traditional separation of roles and duties.
However, she cleverly manipulates her way out of there and to a better situation, and is always looking to improve her position, however she finds she cannot stand the sight of blood.
Samuel arrives in town, ostensibly as the new undertaker, but is completely faking it. He falls in with Eggers, who takes a liking to him, and the two new friends start about setting Samuel up in business. Eggers it is who introduces the virginal Samuel to the Countess, from whom Samuel rents a room (and that’s all!).
As the novel progresses, we get vignettes into the local society. It is relatively poor, with no major industries, and modernity has largely passed it by. It is late Victorian, as we discover when there is major discussion over whether women should be allowed ride bicycles.
We see the incremental steps as the business grows, the various ideas the three partners have to drum up business (e.g. the local asylum).
We see how the relationships unfold, the friendships made, and the eccentricities of the local populace, from the useless drunk of a local policeman, to the judge who hates the town, and the social tensions.
It takes a rescue effort to finally get Helen aware of what she has right in front of her, and Samuel (no longer innocent thanks to one of the Countesses girls) finally has the courage to tell her his feelings.
What I Liked:
- It was an interesting premise.
- I got a good sense of a forgotten town, with its local prejudices and snobberies.
- Helen was a good character, well-written.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The majority of the characters did not feel real, and for me just did not come to life. They were by-and-large stock characters, with nothing really memorable about them. The Admiral could have become a huge dark character, for example, but we only get a brief glimpse of his potential when it is too late.
- The plot was fairly ordinary, and you can guess what will happen from about half-way through. There was no surprise reveal, or dramatic twist, which the story was crying out for.
Overall:
I normally love historical fiction, but whether through plot-line or characters, I just didn’t get this one. A lot was happening in 1895, with the advent of cars, telecommunications (telegrams), etc., but none of this really gets into the sense of the town. The novel has moments of humour and of sadness, and the potential for some really memorable characters, but for me just didn’t connect. It is an airplane type of novel, and has a feel-good factor to it, but sadly it feels like a missed opportunity.
Acknowledgements:
I received a free .pdf of the novel in return for an honest and objective review.
Summary:
Set in a forgotten town called the Port, at the turn of the twentieth century, the novel follows the lives of Samuel and Helen, as they struggle to grow their undertaking business, and their relationship.
Main Characters:
Samuel Keegan: A newcomer to the town, he is the second son of a wealthy family, and possibly suffers from dyslexia. He is also a 30-something virgin, and terrified of intimate contact with women.
Helen Driscoll: Strong-willed daughter of a dominant Methodist father, she struggles to break the confines and roles that society sets for her. Her religious background infuses her with a strong morality.
Eggers: The third partner in the business, he is a man-about-town, well-connected, yet has his own demons which surface after a few beers.
Minor Characters:
The Countess: The Madam of the best little whorehouse in the Port. She is good to her employees, but never loses sight of the fact that they are her stock-in-trade.
Gertie: Helen’s formidable grandmother, who forms her only real link when there is familial trouble.
Plot:
Helen knows how her life has been planned out. Her role is to take her mother’s place, and serve (!) the men who work the farm, i.e. her father and brother Wallace. This is not a democracy, and she has few rights in that household. Her father, and later her brother, seek to control all the girls in the house, in a very traditional separation of roles and duties.
However, she cleverly manipulates her way out of there and to a better situation, and is always looking to improve her position, however she finds she cannot stand the sight of blood.
Samuel arrives in town, ostensibly as the new undertaker, but is completely faking it. He falls in with Eggers, who takes a liking to him, and the two new friends start about setting Samuel up in business. Eggers it is who introduces the virginal Samuel to the Countess, from whom Samuel rents a room (and that’s all!).
As the novel progresses, we get vignettes into the local society. It is relatively poor, with no major industries, and modernity has largely passed it by. It is late Victorian, as we discover when there is major discussion over whether women should be allowed ride bicycles.
We see the incremental steps as the business grows, the various ideas the three partners have to drum up business (e.g. the local asylum).
We see how the relationships unfold, the friendships made, and the eccentricities of the local populace, from the useless drunk of a local policeman, to the judge who hates the town, and the social tensions.
It takes a rescue effort to finally get Helen aware of what she has right in front of her, and Samuel (no longer innocent thanks to one of the Countesses girls) finally has the courage to tell her his feelings.
What I Liked:
- It was an interesting premise.
- I got a good sense of a forgotten town, with its local prejudices and snobberies.
- Helen was a good character, well-written.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The majority of the characters did not feel real, and for me just did not come to life. They were by-and-large stock characters, with nothing really memorable about them. The Admiral could have become a huge dark character, for example, but we only get a brief glimpse of his potential when it is too late.
- The plot was fairly ordinary, and you can guess what will happen from about half-way through. There was no surprise reveal, or dramatic twist, which the story was crying out for.
Overall:
I normally love historical fiction, but whether through plot-line or characters, I just didn’t get this one. A lot was happening in 1895, with the advent of cars, telecommunications (telegrams), etc., but none of this really gets into the sense of the town. The novel has moments of humour and of sadness, and the potential for some really memorable characters, but for me just didn’t connect. It is an airplane type of novel, and has a feel-good factor to it, but sadly it feels like a missed opportunity.
Acknowledgements:
I received a free .pdf of the novel in return for an honest and objective review.
June 11, 2020
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Undertakers, Harlots, and Other Odd Bodies: A Novel Inspired by Real Events and Smothered in Blarney
Author: Mege Gardner
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 17 readers:
16 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
17 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
13 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
16 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘A very enjoyable historical novel, with a strong female protagonist. The author’s strongest skill is her way of developing her central characters. She’s pretty good at setting description too.’ Male reader, aged 53
‘The turn of the century was an interesting time to set this character-led story. I was gripped all the way to the last page.’ Female reader, aged 39
‘The way the author shows the woman struggling to get ahead in a town full of crooks is very well done. The dialogue is crisp and fitting to the time. I even loved the title; it hooked me in.’ Female reader, aged 67
‘A light read set at the turn of the last century. The author works well with setting and character. She’s also excellent with speech, helping us to get to know the characters. She’s particularly good at showing and not telling. I would read another book by this author.’ Female reader, aged 55
To Sum It Up:
‘A character-led historical novel written with a gold-tipped pen. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Undertakers, Harlots, and Other Odd Bodies: A Novel Inspired by Real Events and Smothered in Blarney
Author: Mege Gardner
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 17 readers:
16 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
17 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
13 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
16 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘A very enjoyable historical novel, with a strong female protagonist. The author’s strongest skill is her way of developing her central characters. She’s pretty good at setting description too.’ Male reader, aged 53
‘The turn of the century was an interesting time to set this character-led story. I was gripped all the way to the last page.’ Female reader, aged 39
‘The way the author shows the woman struggling to get ahead in a town full of crooks is very well done. The dialogue is crisp and fitting to the time. I even loved the title; it hooked me in.’ Female reader, aged 67
‘A light read set at the turn of the last century. The author works well with setting and character. She’s also excellent with speech, helping us to get to know the characters. She’s particularly good at showing and not telling. I would read another book by this author.’ Female reader, aged 55
To Sum It Up:
‘A character-led historical novel written with a gold-tipped pen. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
November 12, 2018
This story of a young woman's struggle for independence in a shady town full of shady characters brings to mind a Western set in the East — the veneer of civilization hangs very thinly over The Port, the never-properly-named Maryland town where the story is set. Gardner's colorful characters and clever dialogue make for an enjoyable read.
February 27, 2019
I would have thought it was bad form to review your own book, but thanks to Charles Finch, I have discovered that you can give your own book 100 stars. This should balance out all the negative ratings from people who are not the author and can't quite appreciate the perspective from here. I love you all in any case, and thanks for reading!!
June 19, 2020
What a weird little book. I dont really know what to say. Im unsure what the real intent of the story was. But, it was a pleasant read. The story seemed to lack a... core reason or tangible theme. Just a bunch of people from different walks of life coming together in during a specific era dealing with every day life. It was like reading the Community pages in the newspaper.
February 25, 2019
Delightful oddity!
Excellent first book and I look forward to any sequels. The title was curious enough to catch my interest, and the story line presented many more mysteries, most still waiting to be solved.
Excellent first book and I look forward to any sequels. The title was curious enough to catch my interest, and the story line presented many more mysteries, most still waiting to be solved.
February 26, 2019
A good quick read. The title perked my curiosity, and after a slow start, the story quickly picked up. Very quirky.
February 15, 2020
Hell yeah
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews