“Yurchyshyn’s first book, a memoir of her relationship with her parents before and after their deaths, examines the idea that children can never fully understand the depth and dimension of their parents…In this beautifully written, poignant, honest, and unflinching work, the author takes readers with her on her journey through grief and discovery as she finds out – for good or ill – who her parents really were…An inviting debut that is highly recommended to readers with an interest in memoir, narrative nonfiction, and family history.” — Library Journal (starred review)
"Sharp and searching...a potent look at the fraught, painful, and complicated relationship between parents and children, and the mysteries — revelatory, difficult — that can and cannot be solved." — Boston Globe
“This is a fascinating and insightful memoir about how relationships evolve and change, even after death…[told] with honesty and care.” — Publishers Weekly
“This candid and redemptive memoir shows the fallibility of family and how perception can change everything.” — Booklist
"Yurchyshyn allows her readers to experience her bewildering discoveries much as she did...What she learns does not erase her experiences, but it brings up better memories, of times they were fun and generous, and allows her to accept them, love them and grieve." — Shelf Awareness
One of Esquire’s Best Non-fiction books of the year (so far)
One of Newsweek's best books of the year
One of The Millions's most anticpated books of the year
One of Real Simple's March book picks and Best Books of the Year (so far)
One of PopSugar's Best New Books to Read in March
One of Broadly's 7 Books to Guide you Through Grief and Loss
“My Dead Parents is a gripping, novelistic page-turner about a couple whose love collapsed into grief and pain, and the daughter who, while sorting through the mess they left behind, found something wholly unexpected. We all wish we could understand who our parents were before we existed, especially if their lives or deaths were shrouded in mystery. In this remarkable, unflinching work of art, Anya Yurchyshyn comes closer than anyone else ever has to achieving that impossible goal.”
— EMILY GOULD, author of Friendship
“In the heartwrenching My Dead Parents, Anya Yurchyshyn has reckoned with the most fundamental of human relationships — husband and wife, parent and child — and in so doing forces us to reconsider our own personal narratives of family. Beautifully told, this is a story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.”
— DOREE SHAFRIR, author of Startup