Longwood Author Series: Little Matches
Register now to join us for a virtual conversation with author Maryanne O'Hara about her book Little Matches, moderated by Michelle LaBonte. This tender yet gripping book was inspired by a blog that she kept while her daughter Caitlin was waiting for a lung transplant. “Her compelling story will resonate with anyone seeking a light in the darkest depths of grief.”—Library Journal
About the Book:
Maryanne O’Hara recounts how she lost her beloved only child and set out to look for answers to life’s hard questions. Where is she? Is she? Is there more to life than this life? Does my existence have any real purpose? Does anyone’s? How is it that synchronicities do exist, and how can they help us find meaning and purpose in our lives? Using images and reflections that speak to universal themes, Maryanne shares her remarkable story of resilience, of finding light inside life’s darkest hours, and offers suggestions for discovering one’s purpose.
Author Bio:
Maryanne O’Hara is the author, most recently, of Little Matches: A Memoir of Grief and Light, published by HarperCollins in April. Little Matches is inspired by a blog that Maryanne O’Hara kept while her daughter Caitlin was waiting for a lung transplant. Maryanne and Caitlin’s story has been featured in The New York Times, TIME Magazine, The Boston Globe, Psychology Today, and Little Matches is a People Magazine Book of the Week. She is also the author of Cascade, a novel, and many short stories. She holds an MFA in creative writing, has taught creative writing at the college level, and was a longtime editor at the literary journal, Ploughshares. After volunteering as an end-of-life volunteer at care facilities in Boston and Pittsburgh, she trained as a certified end-of-life doula at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine in 2019. She lectures on topics including chronic illness, bereavement, and secular spirituality. She is the developer of a successful legacy writing workshop that facilitates personal and communal reflective creative practices across identity, age, and health status.
