Once more we saw stars

by Jayson Greene

Hardcover, 2019

Status

Available

Genres

Publication

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2019.

Description

"Two-year-old Greta Greene was sitting with her grandmother on a park bench on the Upper West Side of Manhattan when a brick crumbled from a windowsill overhead, striking her unconscious. She is immediately rushed to the hospital. Once More We Saw Stars begins with this event, leading the reader into the unimaginable. But although it begins with the anguish Jayson and his wife Stacy confront in the wake of their daughter's trauma and the hours leading up to her death, it quickly becomes a narrative that is as much about hope and healing as it is about grief and loss. Jayson recognizes, even in the very midst of his ordeal, that there will be a life for him beyond it--that if only he can continue moving forward, from one moment to the next, he will survive what seems un-survivable. With raw honesty, deep emotion, and exquisite tenderness, he captures both the fragility of life and absoluteness of death, and most important of all, the unconquerable power of love. This is an unforgettable memoir of courage and transformation - and a book that will change the way you look at the world"--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member bemislibrary

Somehow meaning must be found when Stacy and Jayson Greene lose their two-year-old daughter to an accident. There is the usual emotional rollercoaster as they worked through the stages of grief. Sentimental remembrances of a life short lived finally becomes tolerable as they once more are faced

with parenthood. While the main focus is how the author dealt with his loss, he does touch on how his wife, the grandparents, and other family members felt about and dealt with the death.

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LibraryThing member Susan.Macura

This is the story of a tragedy that simply should not have happened. Two-year-old Greta was sitting on a bench with her grandmother when a chunk of a building that was not maintained properly feel, striking her in the head. Despite valiant efforts of surgeons and nurses, Greta's parents had to make

the horrific decision to turn off the machines and donate her organs. The author looks at this tragedy from a father's point of view and how it impacted so many, especially his wife who dealt with it differently. It was a beautiful testament to how one can and must endure no matter what while still loving and remembering those who died before us.

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LibraryThing member RachelRamirez

Once More We Saw Stars is a heartbreaking tribute to the author's two-year-old daughter that was killed in an accident. Jayson Greene puts into words all parents' worst fears - losing a child, and what comes next. He and his family's journey to find peace and acceptance in the face of unspeakable

pain and tragedy brought me to tears multiple times while reading; tissues are recommended! Emotionally raw, beautifully honest, and a cathartic read that made me gratefully hug my own child extra tight. Definitely not a light read, but a worthwhile story.

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LibraryThing member linda.marsheells

You read ONCE MORE and swear that this has to be a work of fiction! But no. The tragedy of Greta's death is real. Her work on earth was done and at the age of 2 was killed in the most bizarre way.

Her father, Jason Greene, has written a heart-wrenchingly open and honest memoir of life before and

after this beautiful childs death.

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LibraryThing member FormerEnglishTeacher

Years ago, I must have been 8 or 9 years old, a book made the rounds of our family. The title was “Angel Unaware.” It was by Dale Evans and Roy Rogers, and it was about their daughter Robin who had been born in 1950 with Downs Syndrome and a heart ailment. She died shortly before her second

birthday. That book moved me, young as I was. I think it was one of the first times I had confronted the idea of death. Jayson Greene’s book “Once More We Saw Stars” reminded me of that Roy Rogers and Dale Evans book about their own daughter they lost at about the same age as Jayson and his wife lost their daughter Greta. Jayson’s book is a chronicle of pain and grief and how two parents survive that pain and grief. The lengths to which they go to deal with their loss show the reader just how deeply rooted in their being it was. A trip to a New Age retreat camp, while almost comical in its strange but very new ageish rituals, showed just how desperate and willing Jayson and his wife were to find a way to live with the loss of their daughter. I’m not sure it’s accurate to say they eventually learned to “live with” the grief. They learned to understand it and to incorporate it into their lives with their new son Harrison. And they were determined to make sure that Harrison knew his sister, even though he would never meet her. This book was touching in a very special way because it wasn’t an attempt to gain sympathy from the reader so much as it was Jayson’s attempt to show the reader what two parents can do to find a way when reason, logic, and grief tell them there is no way.

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