What happens when the job you’ve built your whole life around starts to change — but your instincts don’t? In Over My Dead Body: Parenting Tales for Control Enthusiasts , Janice O’Keeffe delivers a funny, heartfelt collection of stories about motherhood, control, and the complicated art of letting go when your kids grow up, move out, and begin writing their own stories — while somehow remaining permanently open tabs in your brain. Through relatable, honest, and often hilarious stories, O’Keeffe captures the everyday reality of parenting older kids: checking the location app, reading way too much into short text messages, replaying conversations, and keeping a quiet running list of worries, reminders, and things no one else seems to think about. It’s the strange in-between stage where you’re no longer directing the play — but you’re still backstage, hoping they remember their lines. At its core, this book explores what happens to our instincts to fix, protect, and manage once our kids no longer need managing. With warmth and self-awareness, O’Keeffe reflects on the messy transition from hands-on parenting to something new — a role that asks us to trust more, step back (even when it’s hard), and redefine what showing up looks like. Blending humor with genuine heart, Over My Dead Body is for the moms who laugh at themselves, worry anyway, and love fiercely — even when the rules keep changing. It’s a reminder that while the role evolves, the connection doesn’t disappear; it simply finds new ways to grow. Perfect for readers who enjoy honest parenting memoirs, relatable humor, and stories that feel like conversations with a friend, this book speaks to anyone learning how to hold on while learning to let go.
