Kelsey Grammer to Publish Memoir About Late Sister Karen: ‘Our Love Is Forever’ (Exclusive)

“It is not a Grief book. It is a Life book, a celebration of Karen’s life,” Grammer tells PEOPLE of the book, out in 2025

When Kelsey Grammer was 20 years old, and studying at the Juilliard School in New York, tragedy struck.

Grammer’s younger sister, Karen, moved to Colorado Springs after she graduated high school, and took a job at Red Lobster. On July 1, 1975, Karen, then 18, was kidnapped by several men who intended to rob the restaurant. She was raped several times and stabbed to death.

Now, in a new book, the Frasier actor is paying tribute to his sister.

PEOPLE can exclusively share the cover of Grammer’s upcoming stream-of-consciousness memoir, Karen: A Brother Remembers, which will be published via Harper Select in spring 2025. The book recounts Grammer’s memories of Karen, as well as the impact her death had on his family. 

In the book, Grammer, 69, also delves into his “long and arduous” journey toward healing, as well as the complex nature of grief.

Related: Kelsey Grammer Reflects on the 'Terrible Loss' and Guilt After His Sister's 1975 Murder

"Karen is a vibrant, visceral, saturated, honest, ecstatic recounting of my sister’s days until her final desecration," Grammer tells PEOPLE. "It is not a Grief book. It is a Life book, a celebration of Karen’s life.”

“I wanted to tell Karen’s story and at the same time include a bit about my life, our life together and the love we shared," he continues. "It is unflinching account, raw and punctuated with horror. The words spilled from my mind to my fingers, and into the pages of this book. It poured from days long past, fresh and alive. Fifty years hence, I learned that love, that our love, is forever.”

But Karen isn't just rehashing the horror of her death. It also "serves as a testament to Grammer's resilience and determination to transform tragedy into a source of inspiration and empowerment," according to the book's official synopsis.

“It also brought me great Joy. To see her smile again, that was really something. And in hopes it might bring solace to those who have suffered like horrors, that’s in there, too,” Grammer says. “From a loving brother, I invite you to meet Karen. To know her and remember her with me. Karen.”

Grammer's family is no stranger to tragedy. Prior to Karen’s death, Grammer’s father, Frank Allen Grammer, Jr., was shot and killed by a trespasser on his St. Thomas property. Grammer’s half brothers, Billy and Stephen Grammer, were also killed in a suspected shark attack while scuba diving in St. Thomas.

Related: The Murder of Kelsey Grammer's 18-Year-Old Sister in 1975 Still Haunts Him: 'It's Always with You'

In 2022, Grammer shared with PEOPLE that he was writing a book about Karen, and credited his faith and family with bringing him joy.

"I take a moment out every morning for a moment of gratitude," he said. "There's a great Doobie Brothers line that Michael McDonald wrote that goes, 'You'll always have a chance to give up. So why do it now?'"

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The memoir is “a message of hope at a time when we need it the most,” per its publisher.

Karen: A Brother Remembers will be published on May 6, 2025 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.