The Obit Habit: A Novel

by Romalyn Tilghman

Viva is obsessed with obituaries

She lives to see who died. After her own life-threatening experience, she turns her obsession into a course at Lakeview City College. Fresh obituaries provide insights into profound world changes, while death appears at Viva’s own front door.

As Viva hits bottom, her students hijack the course and commit to building their own legacies. Raucous car washes and poetry marathons become fundraisers for a new library. Inspired by their example—and the forty-five plastic pink flamingos that mysteriously appear on her birthday—Viva finally finds her voice. By exposing her vulnerability, she risks her job and her romance, sparking both inspiring protests and calls for censorship.

Through it all, Viva commits to living every single minute to the fullest, making the most of the time represented by that single dash separating birth and death dates on a tombstone. Viva Viva! becomes her mantra.

A story about mortality, meaning, and the courage to live fully in the brief space we’re given.

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About the Author

Romalyn Tilghman's award-winning debut novel, To the Stars Through Difficulties, became a book club and library favorite and a best-seller in Germany. Romalyn enjoyed a career in arts management, working with the National Endowment for the Arts, private foundations, and nonprofit organizations. She served on the board of Americans for the Arts and other national boards and review panels. She received BA and MS degrees from the University of Kansas and studied writing at UCLA.

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