I can't remember but I have read another book like it that was much better many years ago, about one single body moving through the system. That was better. ( )

The subtitle, “Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels” says it all. The Unclaimed is extensive research into an area that most of us do not know much about. In a specific area of Los Angeles, every year, there are thousands of unclaimed dead that have, for one reason or another, been abandoned by their families and left for the government to provide burials. Those workers who process the unclaimed provide hope by trying to locate next of kin through heroic efforts. This situation is not unique to LA, but occurs all over the US and hundreds of thousands of dead are unclaimed every year.

The authors are professionally trained sociologists and have demonstrated excellent research practices in regard to the subject matter and handled the sensitive nature of specific people’s lives. Through their years of research, they have shed some light on how some people have ended up unclaimed. The book focuses on the lives of a few that were unclaimed in this area of LA. They interviewed those that knew them best in their last years and, in some cases, extended family who had lost track of them many years ago. The authors have included extensive notes and references.

The Unclaimed is a real eye opener for me regarding something that I had not considered and did not know was a serious problem in the US. This research helps to humanize those that become unclaimed, shows respect to these individuals, and is a reminder that their lives are much more than just a statistic. It is clear that reforms are badly needed in the process of how we classify the unclaimed and who we allow to ‘claim’ them, but first, research, like this, needed to be done to document how the system is working today.

I received an ARC copy, courtesy of the author and publisher through Goodreads Giveaway. Expected Publication Date: March 2024 ( )