The Columbarium by Emily Gallo late 60’s. As a child, Jed, the fiftyish protagonist, lost his family in the mass suicides and killings at Jonestown in Guyana. One of the few survivors, he ran as fast as he could after witnessing the death of both his mother and sister. This is the backdrop. Now he is on the run again, this time in California, and through happenstance he finds work as the caretaker of the Columbarium, a gorgeous if rundown building for the storage and display of cremains. This book might be subtitled “how to deal with grief and death.” Sad as that sounds, the book is uplifting as the endearing characters say “yes” to life through the pain of their losses. For Jed, the line between life and death is not cleanly demarcated. He talks to the urns and sings to them every day. The colorful and diverse visitors to the Columbarium help Jed move forward in a journey to find a way to let his own ghosts rest in peace. An additional feature is Emily’s song. No Woman No Cry, at her website.