Karen

Karen: A Brother Remembers by Kelsey Grammer
5/6/25; 456 pages
Harper Select

Karen: A Brother Remembers by Kelsey Grammer is a so-so personal memoir and tribute to his sister Karen who was murdered. In Colorado Springs on July 1, 1975, eighteen-year-old Karen Grammer went in to pick up her paycheck at Red Lobster and was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by three men who were planning to rob the restaurant. Kelsey Grammer was just twenty-years-old at this time. Understandably this tragic loss impacted his whole life.

In a stream-of-consciousness style full of many digressions, Grammer recalls Karen and how he struggled throughout his life to deal with his grief over her tragic death and try to focus on the good memories of Karen. The narrative jumps around in time and covers many different events and struggles in his life, some involving Karen, many that don't.

The whole memoir just feels like a tangle of Grammer's memories, is sometimes repetitious, and more about him rather than a tribute to his sister's memory. Many of us have tragically lost a sibling and as one of them any memoir I would write would celebrate her life. Any focus on my struggles with grief and acceptance would be a postscript with places to find help, but then, of course, I'm not famous.

In the final assessment, the no affectation or filter, stream-of-consciousness approach did not result in a cohesive narrative and was a struggle to read. This needed focus, organization, a good editor, and a re-write. Thanks to Harper Select for providing me with a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.