Under the Whispering Door by T J Klune (2021)

I loved this story about a man, Wallace Price, who finally learns how to live after he waits to move on after his death. He’s finicky like Felix Unger, a lawyer whose life *was* his law firm. After he drops dead of a heart attack at 40, he’s collected by Mei, a Reaper, and taken to Charon’s Tea and Treats Shop, a supernatural way station that doubles as a popular out-of-the-way teahouse in small rural town. It's run by a Ferryman named Hugo, Wallace's opposite in almost every way. Wallace is stuck at Charon's until he’s ready to go through the Door. No one knows what will happen after the Door shuts; the residents of Charon’s believe it will be positive, but there’s no guarantee. Sometimes people are so stuck, they don’t want to leave. It's Hugo's job to help them get there. The teahouse is also inhabited by the ghost of Hugo’s cane-wielding grandfather, Nelson, and Apollo, Hugo’s dog/ghost. While Wallace can interact with the dead, only Mei is able to physically interact with Wallace – something that is increasingly problematic as Wallace and Hugo bond. As Wallace becomes part of this family, the Manager arrives, objecting to the settled, comfortable existence that Wallace has found. The Manager gives Wallace a week to put his affairs in order before he has to go through the Door.

I loved Hugo’s take on life, his propensity to ask why someone is reacting the way they are and to care about the answer, his spiritual zen. It’s relaxing. I loved how Wallace unlearns a lifetime of bad habits and becomes a man willing to sacrifice his happiness for others. The world building is organic, showing us what happens when the dead leave the way station (the farther they get and the longer they’re away from the teahouse, the faster their flesh will slough off and blow away and the rest of their body to decay), the consequences of leaving (becoming a Husk, a gruesome wraith that hungers to devour fellow spirits), what that existence is like and why someone might choose to become one (Cameron’s backstory was beautiful and heartbreaking). While its theology is outside the Judeo-Christian worldview (Hugo and Mei’s boss, the Manager, is a being/god who cares more about order than human emotions), it’s something easy to leave within the context of the story (the Manager’s egoism and coldness in the face of underling’s opposition). The story still makes me a bit verklempt when I think about Wallace’s journey and how he changes their lives as much as they change his, how they become a family in every sense of the word. It’s uplifting and one I’ll read again.

(Note: Don't take the length of time it took me to read to be a reflection of how accessible it or enjoyable it is. I put off reading it and then had to return the book to the library 2/3rds of the way through, then had to wait for my hold to come in to finish it. The wait was horrible!)

Audiobook: Kirt Graves does a fantastic job of bringing this story to life. Not only does he do a good job of creating each character's 'voice' but he also adds depth to the story. I loved being reminded how finicky Wallace's attitude can be and how much Hugo is the Ferryman I hope I get if I end up not being ready to go through my Door. I bought the audiobook, it was that good. 5 stars.