As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
It was a sad tale born of the promise to bury the loved one in the town they came from. The title is true for a few chapters as she does lie dying, but I believe the rest of the book could be as I lay decaying as they finally got close to their destination, the smell was mighty strong.
The weather change that was happening when she died played a pivotal role in the adventures and mishaps that made the journey what it was. In the journey we learn about the family and their troubles. They have their disappointments with life and each other that come the surface, as any mandatory family trip is liable to bring out.
This is one of the books in Daria’s Reading List that I’m working on getting through.