Briefly Perfectly Human

Joyful, hilarious, effervescent, brilliant and deeply wise.

Glennon Doyle, on Alua Arthur

There are two truths universal to the human experience: one, we're all going to die, and two, if we try to pretend that's not true, we'll never really live. This is what Alua Arthur knows firsthand – and shares with us in a book sizzling with vitality on every page.

Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone and co-host of the Dear Therapists podcast

Alua Arthur's work as a death doula has led her to have a truly unique, inspiring perspective on the time we have, what we do with it, and how we let go of this world. Finally she's offering that perspective to the rest of us, in Briefly Perfectly Human. And it's about time. There is no one I'd trust more to guide me through an understanding of death, and how it informs life.

Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Mad Honey and The Book of Two Ways

A delightfully warm memoir. Arthur's touching stories provide a lovely reminder of why contemplating the pain of death is so important for living a more intentional, beautiful life.

Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

Kind, simple, urgent and necessary

BJ Miller, author of A Beginner’s Guide to the End

A poetic, inspiring book about how embracing our mortality allows us to find our deepest selves and truly connect with others ... Arthur’s powerful memoir underlines the value of every life.

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This book is everything I admire about Alua's work. She drapes the reaper in sparkles and sunsets, allowing you to stare down mortality's harshest truths swaddled in safety, joy, and the dignity of unsparing honesty.

 Caitlin Doughty, author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory

Briefly Perfectly Human is a beautiful, raw, light-bringing experience. Be prepared for it to grab you, hold you tight, and raise the roof on the power of human connection.

Tembi Locke, author of From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home

Briefly Perfectly Human is a deeply urgent, divinely-inspired memoir that guides our understanding of death as an inevitable part of this glorious human experience. Her extraordinary insight into how we can truly live is inspiring.

Michele Harper, author of The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir