Once More We Saw Stars

A Memoir

By: Jayson Greene

Narrated by: Jayson Greene

Length: 7 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

“A gripping and beautiful book about the power of love in the face of unimaginable loss.” (Cheryl Strayed)

For fans of The Bright Hour and When Breath Becomes Air, a moving, transcendent memoir of loss and a stunning exploration of marriage in the wake of unimaginable grief.

As the story opens: Two-year-old Greta Greene is sitting with her grandmother on a park bench on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A brick crumbles from a windowsill overhead, striking her unconscious, and she is immediately rushed to the hospital. But although it begins with this event and 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, Once More We Saw Stars quickly becomes a narrative that is as much about hope and healing as it is about grief and loss. Jayson recognizes, even in the 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 unsurvivable.

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 an audiobook that will change the way you look at the world.

©2019 Jayson Greene (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Beautiful…heartbreaking…an answer to the question: How does one survive such a devastating tragedy…a story not just of loss, but of remarkable love…life-affirming…luminous.” (Washington Post)

"His writing...is a revelation of lightness and agility.... A miracle.... A narrative of grief and acceptance that is compulsively readable and never self-indulgent." (The New York Times)

“In Once More We Saw Stars, Jayson Greene crystallizes the bravery required for parenting, the insanity within grief, the struggle and haven of marriage, the durability of love in all its forms. This is a book about how we make sense of suffering and what it means to be a family. It’s funny, lucid, and deeply generous - proof that a masterful writer can make from his own specifics a universal story with lessons for us all.” (Lucy Kalanithi)

Incredible

Moving story beautifully written and told.
The journey from heartache to a place of healing is incredible, raw, and written from a place I can only imagine.

Excellent

My youngest daughter died at the age of 19. It has been 9 years...it has taken 7 of those years to Once More See the Stars. Thank you Jayson saying so many of things I have felt on this long, lonely, beautiful journey called Grief. I laughed and cried, often in the same moment, while listening to this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who has had to say good bye to one of their children.

An excellent and moving exploration into grief

I thought this was an excellent book, putting the intangible and profound nature of this level of grief into words.

A book of excruciatingly painfully Beauty

Wow!
Just finished listening to Jason’s story and I feel very much gratitude. He and Stacey’s choice to share this experience with the world was incredibly generous and I cannot imagine how difficult. There were unexpected lines that sent me into sobbing spells (he had just bought the Frog and Toad books, but Greta had not quite been ready for them.) What a brave, honest, raw, and philosophical book from a father who continues to live after losing the love of his life, his baby girl Greta.

My heart & soul bled, gorgeously written

I have listened to & read many books in my life (most of them being memoirs, true crime, etc), but this one touched my soul to it's depths...more than any I have ever experienced before. Not only is the author an extraordinary writer, his narration just tore at my heart. You can clearly hear the unbelievable pain and grief swelling and overflowing in each word. My breath was literally taken from me many times throughout, and I often had to take a minute to gather myself together before listening on. My best wishes to him and his family.

Phenomenal

I am 3 months out from the death of my nearly 4 year old son. It took a month to get through this audiobook as some parts struck too deep and I would need a break.
through Jayson words I was able to confront things in my own grief and have absolutely added Golden Willow to a list of places I want to go. This road, of bereaved parents, is so difficult. Always such a balancing act. This book was beautiful. Thank you for giving me hope. I will remember you Greta along with my Liam, forever 💛

Beautiful memoir.

I found this memoir extremely well written and deeply moving. It is read by the author and he does a beautiful job at relating such a painful and tragic story. I highly recommend this memoir.

Gorgeous and Healing

Everything I needed to say about my grief but never found the right words... and also a gorgeous love letter to loss and life... and Greta.

Heartbreaking but beautiful

Although this book is incredibly sad, it is also a testament to enduring love and hope. It is beautifully written and I only hope it was healing for the author to write it. I wish only the best for this family.

Terribly, beautifully, heartbreakingly emotional

This is an incredibly honest and raw account of the grief this man and his family endured during and after the tragic death of their toddler. As a parent, and as someone who has been lucky enough to escape the death of a close loved one, it opened my eyes to the type and depth of grief possible. It has made me hug my children tighter and think about what would be left of me if something ever happened to them. I will say that I probably cried through 3/4s of the book, but don't let that scare you away from listening. It is beautifully, richly and honestly told.