Short but full. Contrary to Long's assumptions, expressed in his preface, I read this not because I need to know what will happen when *I* die, but because I long to know just what has happened to my mother since her death... The first half of Long's book explores a Christian theology and spirituality of death on this side of the kingdom: human mortality, actively facing death, and our western tendency to avoid death and dying as much as possible. Long's second half explains the Christian theology of the afterlife; he is both candid and gentle, reminding us that scripture does not really support belief in the immortality or resurrection of the soul, only the resurrection of the body, and that only at the end of time. This can be challenging when you're wishing there was a way serious theology could support a continued existence of your mom in some way or another. He focuses heavily on the resurrection of Jesus and the appearances of the Risen Christ. I found the book meaty, heart-breaking, and hopeful.