Once More We Saw Stars: A Memoir

As a pediatric palliative care nurse practitioner, I have been an up-close witness to the anguish and grief described so truthfully in this beautifully written book. I have felt parents deep grief and longing in my own heart and can’t imagine how much more deep and painful that grief and longing is in their heart. Truly, NO ONE can know what and how the parents are feeling when their child dies—not even another grieving parent, as everyone’s experience of grief is different. I commend this book to anyone whose child has died, anyone who cares for children and parents at the time of a child’s death, anyone who loves someone whose child has died, and, really, anyone on this earth—-it will give you a better understanding of the deep, painful, and sometimes beautiful anguish and grief experienced by parents whose child has died. Our world needs more empathy for and understanding of grief. This book provides that.

Jayson Greene's Once More We Saw Stars will break your heart, and fill you with hope. Greene tells the impossible story of the accidental death of his two-year-old daughter, Greta, with raw honesty, but it's the way he explores how he and his wife Stacey desperately searched for a way to embrace their lives again around the hole of Greta's absence (and her spirit's continued presence) that makes this book so beautiful. Especially poignant is the way Greene and Stacey cling to each other, and how they fight to strengthen and center their marriage in the wake of their loss. Greene is a talented writer, and he deals with his very difficult subjects deftly and openly. Read this book - you won't regret it.

As a bereaved mother I deeply appreciated the openness of the writer, the gentle respectfulness given his wife and mother in law. I'm grateful for every writer sharing their details of loss and overcoming. This is a gift of grace to all. When death visits once or many times taking our children, we crash and then seek hope. For other bereaved family members and those wanting to support, this is a treasure.

Once More We Saw Stars is a wonderfully honest and intimate glimpse into the unthinkable journey Jayson and Stacy have made together over the last few years. Jayson's writing perfectly captures the vulnerability we invite into our lives when we fall in love with another human; this is a story about love, between partners, parents and children, as well as the love that emanates from our community of friends, relatives, and even strangers in times of need. The book is also a beautiful tribute to Greta. Her memory is dear to all who knew her personally; through this book, those of us who didn't get a chance to can smile at Jayson's descriptions of her adorable toddler ways, cry along with her loved ones, and join them in honoring her life and spirit.

Thank you for sharing this with me. I'll come back to it often. Never having gone through the loss of a child, I have lost many people that I love. Still, your story is unfathomable and your will and courage stronger than death, bringing light into the dark parts of my own soul. As. a retired RN working many years in ICU, I also appreciate your kind words about the nurses.

I listened to the audiobook while reading the book and even though I understood his sadness, I didn’t like that he was very monotoned and almost robotic reading the entire book. Hardly no voice variety or emotion put into it even though there were many happy moments, like the birth of their son. I always appreciate when an author reads his own memoir but he could have used some coaching. I also found it unfortunate that they kept comparing Harry to Greta and not in a good way. I hope for his sake they didn’t keep taking jabs at him as he grew up. Harry fell down their apartment stairs at 9 months old. What parent doesn’t put a gate up? I hope the best for Harry .

Thank Heavens for the gift of resilience, which creates art and music and poetry out of devastation. Jayson Greene conjures the most gorgeous memoir of the liminal time between his daughter's death and his son's birth. He lifts a monumental chunk of granite---so heavy you can't bear to watch as it breaks him---and then he suddenly skips it like a delicate stone, the arcs bowing gracefully across water. Birds flit and alight, gathering as if around Snow White, to carry him along, and, somehow, he has not lost any capacity to love. Highly recommended. I read it in 3 sittings.

It’s been a long time since I started and finished a book in a day, but I couldn’t put it down, despite how painful the journey was. This was the story of greatest fear of any parent or grandparent & how people journeyed on to survive, never whole ever again but love and life persisted. Grief, loss, love and life were the themes.

A beautifully written and powerful memoir about grief and loss. I felt compelled to write a review because I was so moved by it - best book I’ve read in a while. Some of Jayson’s reflections on grief spoke so deeply to me, I felt he was inside my own mind. The only thing I’d say is if you’re going through or have gone through something similar this book may be difficult to read.

Un libro muy fuerte, recomendable

A very sad story but one that isn't without some redeeming features both for the protagonist and the reader. I read it as an expecting father and was moved to tears more than once.

Healing...I read this book less than two years after my son’s death. It was God’s perfect timing for me. I understood these words at a core level because I have felt these experiences in my own life. Very well written and so raw and vulnerable. I am grateful for this read.

surviving the unimagineable loss of a 2 year old daughter.... through a male's lense and journey... but language is for everyone....