My Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final Gift - by Harold Phifer (Paperback)

About the Book

"Sometimes the death of a Love One can fix your pain."

A Funeral that turned into a Comedy show. The death of Hal's evil aunt taught me a lot about grief, love, lost, resentments, and redemptions.
"After the passing of Hal's evil aunt, the pastor attempts to ease her past the Pearlie Gates regardless of her past misdeeds. Hal's attitude is totally different than the reverend. But the pastor needs Hal's full support in order to pull off his caper."
Will she get routed to heaven or hell? It's a story far from being grim with laughter til the end.

Book Synopsis

In "My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift", Hal revisits the complicated relationship he shared with his late Aunt Kathy, a woman who stood as the antithesis of positivity in his life. Despite her domineering and often cruel behavior, her passing left Hal with an unexpected opportunity for humor, healing, and reflection.

As he plans her memorial--a gathering that no one seems eager to attend--Hal's childhood memories resurface, pulling him back into a world shaped by his aunt's unpredictable rules and twisted philosophies. Blending heartfelt truths with laugh-out-loud moments, Hal weaves a tale of resilience, self-discovery, and ultimately, redemption. This memoir offers a lighthearted yet honest look at how even the darkest relationships can leave behind gifts of wisdom and self-awareness.

Review Quotes

Review #1: Review by K.C. Finn
Reviewed by:
K.C. Finn
Review Rating:
5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review! Get your free 5-star seal!

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
My Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final Gift by Harold Phifer is a hilarious and surprisingly touching story about family, redemption, and the afterlife. It all kicks off at the funeral of Hal's mean-spirited aunt, where a pastor is determined to talk her way into heaven, even though she spent her life making everyone miserable. As Hal sits there, trying to figure out how he feels about her possible salvation, the funeral takes a turn for the ridiculous, spiraling into chaos. But beneath all the laughs, the book also digs into some real questions about family, forgiveness, and how we make peace with the past. Harold Phifer has a knack for finding humor in even the darkest moments. I was laughing out loud about death and the afterlife from the first pages of this novel, but then also really thinking about the bigger picture in its quieter moments. The way Phifer captures messy family dynamics feels real, and the story never takes itself too seriously while still touching on some deep truths via the engaging and natural-sounding dialogue. The twists kept me hooked with a great sense of pacing to pick things up again before it gets too slow, and I loved how the author used comedy to explore emotions that aren't always easy to talk about. What stuck with me most is how the story manages to be both sharp and heartfelt at the same time. Overall, I'd definitely recommend My Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final Gift to anyone who loves dark humor with a side of family drama.

Review #2: Review by Foluso Falaye
Reviewed by:
Foluso Falaye
Review Rating:
5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review! Get your free 5-star seal!

Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite
My Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final Gift by Harold Phifer portrays Hal's chaotic relationship with his aunt as he prepares for her memor

About the Author

Harold Phifer was born and raised in Columbus, Mississippi. A graduate of Mississippi State University and Jackson State University, Harold served 23 years as an air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In 2010, he left the United States to work as an international contractor, completing multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before being reassigned to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Following a near-death experience in Afghanistan, he found inspiration to write his first book, "Sleepwalking Out of Afghanistan: Walking it All Back". He continued his journey as an author with "Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at a Beach Bar", a two-part memoir detailing his resilience.