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Welcome to the Afterlife
A No-Nonsense Tour for Those in Mourning or the Merely Curious with Denise, Heaven's Receptionist
Illustrated by Maria Krasinski
Table of Contents
About The Book
From beloved content creator Taryn Delanie Smith, comes a luminous and comforting vision of the afterlife—told through her beloved character, Denise, Heaven’s sharp-witted and big-hearted receptionist.
For millions of followers, Denise has become a guide to the great beyond: welcoming new arrivals at Heaven’s front desk, answering their most pressing questions, and offering reassurance with humor, grace, and a knowing wink. What is there to do in Heaven? Can our loved ones still sense us? What about our pets? Do we get to choose our eternal outfit? Denise has heard it all—and she’s ready with answers that are as thoughtful as they are disarming.
In Welcome to the Afterlife, Smith expands the world that has captivated those who know her from social media, inviting readers on a richly imagined tour of the “Upstairs.” From horseback riding and bingo nights to flying lessons and long-awaited reunions, Heaven is revealed as a place of joy, restoration, and deep connection. But Denise doesn’t shy away from the harder questions: What happens to unfinished business? How are babies cared for? How do we forgive ourselves—and each other—once we’ve crossed over?
Along the way, we meet unforgettable souls, and with each encounter, Denise gently reminds us that love endures, and that those we’ve lost are never truly far away.
Behind the humor and sparkle lies Smith’s own grounding in philosophy and religion, lending depth and nuance to Denise’s voice. The result is a work that is at once playful and profound—a comforting meditation on grief, grace, and the invisible threads that bind us to one another.
Warm, funny, and unexpectedly wise, Welcome to the Afterlife offers solace to anyone who has loved and lost—and a hopeful reminder that what awaits us may be far less frightening, and far more beautiful, than we imagine.
For millions of followers, Denise has become a guide to the great beyond: welcoming new arrivals at Heaven’s front desk, answering their most pressing questions, and offering reassurance with humor, grace, and a knowing wink. What is there to do in Heaven? Can our loved ones still sense us? What about our pets? Do we get to choose our eternal outfit? Denise has heard it all—and she’s ready with answers that are as thoughtful as they are disarming.
In Welcome to the Afterlife, Smith expands the world that has captivated those who know her from social media, inviting readers on a richly imagined tour of the “Upstairs.” From horseback riding and bingo nights to flying lessons and long-awaited reunions, Heaven is revealed as a place of joy, restoration, and deep connection. But Denise doesn’t shy away from the harder questions: What happens to unfinished business? How are babies cared for? How do we forgive ourselves—and each other—once we’ve crossed over?
Along the way, we meet unforgettable souls, and with each encounter, Denise gently reminds us that love endures, and that those we’ve lost are never truly far away.
Behind the humor and sparkle lies Smith’s own grounding in philosophy and religion, lending depth and nuance to Denise’s voice. The result is a work that is at once playful and profound—a comforting meditation on grief, grace, and the invisible threads that bind us to one another.
Warm, funny, and unexpectedly wise, Welcome to the Afterlife offers solace to anyone who has loved and lost—and a hopeful reminder that what awaits us may be far less frightening, and far more beautiful, than we imagine.
About The Author
Photograph by Brendan Wixted
Taryn Delanie Smith is a writer, performer, and creator who started her career as a receptionist in New York City, a job she worked while earning her master's degree in communication and intercultural studies that later inspired her creation of Denise, Heaven's Receptionist. Smith's charcater has since amassed over tens of millions of views across social media, becoming an unlikely home where those experiencing grief can find humor and human connection. A Seattle native, she lives in Hudson Valley, New York, with her husband and their Great Dane, Bruce. Welcome to the Afterlife is her debut book.
About The Illustrator
Maria Krasinski is an artist, educator, and illustrator of the books Art Hiding in New York, Art Hiding in Paris, and I’m Not Your Muse. A graduate of the University of Chicago, she is also a former Peace Corps volunteer and Jeopardy! contestant. She lives in Paris.
Product Details
- Publisher: 37 Ink (October 20, 2026)
- Length: 96 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668212486
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Raves and Reviews
Praise for Taryn Delanie Smith
“Viral 'heaven's receptionist' Tik Tok videos are helping people cope with losing loved ones. Even those who aren't religious are finding comfort in Taryn Delanie Smith's videos depicting what happens when you arrive in heaven.”—The Today Show
“Denise, Heaven’s Receptionist, is the best thing on TikTok….A joyful, witty series, and it’s pitch perfect.”—The Washington Post
“(Denise) has become a tool for thinking through the afterlife — and for grieving those who've already made their way there. What she does so intuitively well is pair grief with a dose of playfulness, and also with secularity and spirituality, authenticity and vulnerability, the personal and the universal — all combining into a potent catharsis cocktail.”—NPR, Morning Edition
“She needs a career in comedy!”—Jenna Hager Bush
“Hilarious...it’s part The Nanny, parts of Touched by an Angel. It’s a heartfelt thing. It’s incredible how you can connect with people that you've never met and touch their soul. “—Tamron Hall
“Taryn Delanie Smith is going to Heaven for sure. She is, at turns, hilarious and endearing…and making a difference in the emotional lives of her fans. Denise offers our minds the kinds of stories and thoughts that comfort us, rather than worry or scare us. Be still my heart!"—Psychology Today
“(Smith) is speaking to the most human need: the need for connection."—Megan Devine, author of It's OK That You're Not OK
“Smith's receptionist impression is 100% spot-on, and many of her greatest hits involve talking about ghost outfits, for crying out loud, (but she) is helping people cope with loss in a beautiful way. The fictional character’s perfect blend of humor and heart have really helped people process grief and feel a little less anxiety towards death.”—Upworthy.com
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