Can we really communicate with the dead? Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, a fifty-six-year-old renowned genealogist with no childhood paranormal experiences, intends to find out. Midlife Medium is an unintentional spiritual memoir as Sharon engrosses herself in the world of mediumship to learn whether it's possible for anyone to become a medium. The journey is not without unexpected, sometimes unsettling, consequences as Sharon grapples with her own mortality and discovers a little-known religion, Spiritualism. She also discovers that all relationships can heal, even after death. But perhaps the biggest challenge is the strain her quest puts on her relationship with her skeptical, science-teacher daughter. An often humorous yet profound attempt at bridging the gap between life and the afterlife, Midlife Medium: A Genealogist's Quest to Converse with the Dead also includes a short guide and suggestions for readers who want to start their own journey to become a medium.