More Owen: Searching for Traces of a Son Gone Too Soon

In 2019, Mary Klinger's vibrant eighteen-year-old son, Owen, went missing from his Portland, Oregon, college dorm and was later found dead in a local river. In that moment, Mary thought her own life was over too. How does a mom, who thought she was doing everything "right," continue to live and care for her family after experiencing the traumatic death of a beloved child?

MORE OWEN chronicles Mary's journey to explore who Owen was as she knew him, to learn more about his young adult life, and to better understand his death. With openhearted vulnerability, Mary attempts to illuminate the darkness of her grief. She faces agonizing pain, yet finds connection and beauty as she revisits scenes from Owen's short life-all while grappling with her new identity as a bereaved mother. She shares discoveries of inspirational quotes Owen carved on his bed, and his own perceptive, playful writings. With raw and reverent language, Mary communicates with Owen after his death through poetic journal entries and recounts powerful healing moments, like finding thousands of heart-shaped rocks, each like a tiny echo of him.

MORE OWEN features humor too, such as an expose on child-loss musicals, meet-ups with psychic mediums, questions for Jesus' mom, and some tongue-in-cheek suggestions for grief groups. MORE OWEN weaves Mary Klinger's essays, poems, and letters together with snapshots from Owen's life in a poignant and powerful tapestry of love and healing. With candid honesty, this powerful memoir offers hope to those who have suffered profound loss, while also helping those who haven't (yet) experienced such heartbreak to empathize with those who have.