Description
On July 1, 1975, Kelsey Grammer’s younger sister, eighteen-year-old Karen Grammer, was raped and murdered. In Karen: A Brother Remembers, Kelsey reveals their past, celebrates their youth together, mourns her loss, and unearths his struggle for faith and healing in the decades since her death.
Through this memoir, Grammer poignantly recounts the memories of his sister and the impact her loss had on his life and family. With raw honesty, Grammer explores the profound grief and devastation that followed Karen’s death, as well as the long and arduous journey toward healing. He bravely confronts the pain of losing a loved one to senseless violence, offering readers a glimpse into the complexities of coping with such a profound loss.
Karen also serves as a testament to Grammer’s lifelong journey with grief and his struggle to defeat the sting of death with the memory of a life filled with joy—irreplaceable joy. In sharing his story, Grammer aims to help others who have experienced similar loss, offering solace and encouragement to cherish the love they knew, however brief, on their own path toward healing.
This book is a moving tribute to Karen and the brother’s love that survives her.
My Thoughts
This new book from actor Kelsey Grammer is not an easy reading experience.
Grammer recounts the shocking murder of his younger sister and his own experience with heartrending grief, anger, and loss. Told in a sort of stream of consciousness, not all readers will like the jumpiness of the narrative. I experienced a bit of skepticism about Grammer including photos and descriptive text illustrating his career, his successes, marriages, and so on. However, I realized that he had to do that in order to fully develop the story of what his life has been like without Karen – all the wonderful things she’s missed and the things he’s had to celebrate without her.
Having known people lost to violence, I felt like Grammer skillfully conveyed the absolutely unhinged way you feel in the aftermath of such an horrific event.
This is a very emotional read and could be triggering for people who have experienced violent loss, rape, or murder.
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Published By: Harper Select
Thanks to the Greece Public Library for the book
It's All About the Book 