About the Book
'It’s a wildly satisfying and moving read ... I loved this special book' – Graham Norton
Six years ago, Jo Caulfield was about to go on stage when she found out that her big sister Annie had cancer. Not the best way to start a nationwide comedy tour. But the tour turns out to be a welcome distraction for both sisters. As Jo reports back from various hotels and service stations, they revisit their childhood and adolescence while navigating Annie’s illness, learning through trial and error how to behave when someone you love gets sick.
The Funny Thing About Death is a hilarious memoir of two unconventional girls growing up in the 1970s. They didn’t fit in at the Air Force bases they were raised on or the strict convent boarding school they were sent to. The Air Force was obsessed with communists and the nuns were obsessed with the Virgin Mary, neither of which were of interest to Jo or Annie.
Annie was witty, spiky and greedy for life, rushing to be ‘interesting’ and experience adventures. She travelled the world and became a screenwriter and broadcaster.
Jo was equally rebellious but didn’t have a plan. She just wanted to be interesting like her big sister and thought it might involve eyeliner, smoking and being in a band.
Like her stand-up, Jo Caulfield’s caustic wit and razor-sharp observations make her account of life with her sister, even in the worst of times, as entertaining as it is touching and relatable.
About the Author :
Jo Caulfield was born in Wales to Irish parents, raised in England and now lives in Scotland. She is an award-winning comedian, most recently winning the Comedians’ Comedian award in 2021. Jo has performed stand-up comedy all over the world and is renowned for her sellout shows at the Edinburgh Festival.
Her TV credits include appearances on Have I Got News For You, Mock the Week, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, The Royal Variety Show, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Richard Osman’s House of Games, and she has written and starred in several series of her own on Radio 4.
‘Sharp witted urban comedy that goes down a treat. Like a sociology textbook but with jokes’ – The Times
‘Jo delivers an hour of rock-solid stand-up, with flashes of viciousness that particularly delight the room’ – British Comedy Guide
Review :
'Profound and very funny...full of brilliantly observational material… extraordinary'
'There’s so much I’d like to say about this book. It’s a wildly satisfying and moving read. Big laughs combined with rare insight and heartbreak. The writing is so readable and unfussy and the humour is done so well, never forced or shoehorned. I loved this special book'
'This book conveys the awfulness of grief, but Caulfield’s admiration for Annie - a fellow writer and tremendous wit - makes an even greater impression... Caulfield speaks perceptively about the intricate nature of mourning'
'I devoured it in one sitting. Loved it: funny, warm, engaging'
'Suffused with tenderness, warmth and some heartbreaking fragility...Caulfield has delivered a fitting tribute to her sister that, crucially, you suspect Annie would sneakily delight in'
'I was blessed to sit in a room making up jokes with Annie Caulfield. Jo has captured her big sister’s sense of humour and humanity beautifully'
'Laughter isn’t just for the good times. Laughter is what gets us through the toughest times, and Jo Caulfield demonstrates that beautifully in this heartfelt and hilarious book'
'A remarkable and cathartic read... Caulfield manages to capture the enormity of grief perfectly'
'I knew Jo Caulfield was funny, one of the funniest comics around, but her book is also moving and surprising. A brilliantly engaging read'
'Jo's writing is a masterclass in letting the catastrophe of loss speak for itself. Amidst heartache and grief shines the joy of the extraordinary sibling bond, so often taken for granted. A superb read'
'Packed with humanity... a reminder that laughter is what gets you through the tears'
'Warm and tender, frequently very funny and, ultimately, incredibly moving tale of siblings and cancer. Without a shred of mawkishness, the book manages to move seamlessly from funny to tragic'
'Where do you start with the death of a beloved sibling? I wish I’d started on page one of Jo’s book. She navigates the treacherous waters of bereavement and its unpredictable behaviour and emotions in this open, funny, sad, wry and highly readable gem'
'Excellent writing with heart, truth and comedy rolled into one important journey'
'Sweet, brutal, funny, intimate and totally compelling, this is a brilliant meditation on grief and sisterhood - and a celebration of the seemingly inconsequential details and random moments that bind us to each other'
'If this book was just a eulogy, that would be more than enough reason to say that you must read this, but it offers readers so much more. It is an inspirational book about love, fragility, loss and the bond between two sisters. Captivatingly told and filled with enchantment, it made me glad I had known Annie and glad that I know Jo'
'It manages to both break your heart and get you giggling'
'A beautiful, bold portrait of a much-loved sister that will speak to everyone who has loved and lost and everyone who is yet to lose someone. Honest, raw, surprising, life-affirming, and because it's Jo Caulfield, of course, it's very, very funny. You'll laugh, cry, breathe and want to read it again'
'a story of two women carving out their place in the world, each with their experience of not fitting in and their own rebellious spirit'
'This memoir is every bit as exquisitely funny and poignant as one would expect. Jo's a massive talent'
'Caulfield is sharp and funny, capturing childhood eccentricities marvellously, alongside the cathartic necessity of humour in the darker times. Her writing in honest and highly readable, intimate without being mawkish or overly sentimental'
'Structurally it’s fascinating, as the story of their lives together is juxtaposed with the arc of Annie’s illness... a comforting, moving and on occasion incredibly funny read'
'[Caulfield] writes about the death of her complex and talented sister from cancer with arresting commentaries on the repeated blows of grief'
'Full to the brim with love and laughter, it's a perfect tribute to her brilliant sister'
