Two Floors Above Grief: A Memoir of Two Families in the Unique Place We Called Home by Kevin M. O’Connor Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 3/3/23}

Review By LAWonder10:

This is the account and meanderings of a man raised in a unique multi-family dwelling that sounds wonderful!

This book is a detailed story, covering over two decades, that he researched and discovered many things he did not remember or even know.

He describes in detail things about his residences, his family and extended family, religion, self-discovery, and the ups and downs of those years.

In creating this publication, he hopes to inspire others to do the same. He feels it adds to family connection and unity, in exploring one’s past history.

He brought out many important points that are truly lacking and important to correct in these new generations raised with so much technology. Yet, technology aids in research and in making one’s life easier. There are blessings and challenges in each generation.

This was an interesting, quite well-written book but for me, there was too much detail and some unneeded repetition. 

I offer a Three and a Half Stars rating.

This book was gifted me with no pressure to post a positive review. This is my honest review.

Where did I get my inspiration? 

My inspiration comes from lived experiences. When I was a child living in the funeral home environment, I didn’t often contemplate that my arrangement was so different. It was all I knew.
As I grew older and developed friendships and relationships throughout my life, I came to a stronger sense of appreciation for the individuality of my upbringing. I wanted to share those stories with others.
 
There are many books about funeral homes, family relationships, and the strength of parent-to-child bonds.  Two Floors Above Grief is different because most funeral home family residences are about one family.  The stories are about what it took to have two sets of parents raising children born over a span of twenty years. The daughters of the second floor and the sons of the third floor were cousins.  Yet, they were raised as sisters and brothers. The book explains how that occurred. Two autonomous families worked together in such a way to create one family from two. It took some effort.  The positive effects of the relationships continue to thrive 90 years after the oldest child’s birth

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