Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins

When someone dies indigent, homeless, disenfranchised from society, or without family or friends, there may be no easy path to resting in peace. With over half a million people experiencing homelessness in the US, Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins, is a timely book, bearing witness to disparities in death and dying faced by some of society’s most vulnerable and marginalized.

Death is the great equalizer, but not all deaths are created equal. In recent years, there has been an increased interest and advocacy concerning end-of-life and after-death care. An increasing number of individuals and organizations from health care to the funeral and death care industries are working to promote and encourage people to consider their end-of-life wishes. Yet, there are limits to who these efforts reach and who can access such resources. These conversations come from a place of good intentions, but also from a place of privilege.

Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins, a collection of closely connected essays, takes the reader on a journey into what happens to those who die while experiencing homelessness or who end up indigent or unclaimed at the end of life. Too Poor to Die bears witness to the disparities in death and dying faced by some of society’s most vulnerable and marginalized and asks the reader to consider their own end-of-life and disposition plans within the larger context of how privilege and access plays a role in what we want versus what we get in death.