Karen: A Brother Remembers

by Kelsey Grammer Narrated by Kelsey Grammer

Overview

Read by the author.

New York Times Bestseller

One of Oprah Daily's Most Anticipated Books of 2025

People's Best Books of May 2025

On July 1, 1975, Kelsey Grammer's younger sister, eighteen-year-old Karen Grammer, was raped and murdered. In Karen, 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.

Karen by Kelsey Grammer delves into the tragic story of the author's sister, Karen, who was brutally murdered at the age of eighteen. Kelsey was just twenty years old when his younger sister, a recent high school graduate, moved to Colorado Springs, where she was kidnapped by several men who had intended to rob the Red Lobster where she worked. They instead kidnapped Karen, raped her, and ultimately stabbed her to 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.

Photos and legal documents can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download.

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

'Grammer's story is often raw and unflinchingly honest.'

Publishers Weekly

'Grammer's tender portrait of his sister as a sensitive, intelligent soul goes a long way toward correcting the record, and his vacillation between rawness and composure on the page is enormously affecting.'

Midwest Book Review

'Deftly written, emotionally compelling, and the kind of 'true life' story that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.'

From the Publisher

People's Best Books of May 2025

One of Oprah Daily's Most Anticipated Books of 2025

Kirkus Reviews

2025-03-06
An actor pays tribute to his murdered sister.

Fifty years ago, Grammer’s 18-year-old sister, Karen, was kidnapped from the Red Lobster where she worked. She was then raped, tortured, and stabbed to death by killers on a rampage through Colorado Springs. A spirit medium named Esther channeled the voice of Karen from beyond the grave, instructing the actor to write a book about her. The result is a repetitive stream-of-consciousness account marked by metanarrative digressions that try the reader’s patience. A letter to the reader on page 84 suggests one put the book down if Grammer’s “no affectation or filter” approach doesn’t suit. The lack of filter generates jarring moments with regard to women’s bodies, World War II war crimes, and current ideas about privilege and race, as well as passages like this: “Dear God, I miss her. I miss my sister. She was so full of joy. She was such a wonderful girl. I loved her so much. That face shining and alive, so innocent and so fun. That was irreplaceable. Thanks for being my sister, Karen.” And this: “She led me to this tale and leads me in it. I try to hear her. I try to honor her, climbing to where I see her high above me. Where Karen is today is a lofty place. And I am listening as I climb. She is Legend. Maybe the whole Valhalla thing is true. Maybe our Viking blood carries it.” It might have made more sense to present this material in a diary format to more naturally mingle past and present, story and process. But even then, it would have required a firm editorial hand and a sharp pair of pruning shears.

A disorganized book about a horrible crime.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192063798
Publisher:	Harper Select
Publication date:	05/06/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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