By the nineteenth century the ancient parish churchyards of Britain, burdened with generations of dead, were unable to cope with the strain of rising numbers of corpses. Public concern about health problems eventually put an end to the local parish churchyard burial, and by the time settlers set sail for New Zealand new, larger "modern" cemeteries were being established on the edges of towns. Immigrants brought with them a range of burial traditions, and of course Maori, already long established, had their own rituals. Over time, the various customs borrowed from one another to form a uniquely New Zealand way. In this beautifully written and illustrated book, Stephen Deed sets out to reconnect the historic cemeteries we see today with the history of this country and its people.