Grey Street.

O’Brien’s first love, Linda, died as a child from cancer but her memory lives on as the affect her brief life had on O’Brien’s storytelling. When a child has a sibling or close friend die, it causes that child to face their own mortality and that of their loved ones. This often occurs at an age when they should have little more to worry about than whether or not their homework is done. O’Brien’s love for Linda was so intense that after her death, he was no longer able to view the world in the vivid colors of an innocent child. 
Even before reading the story of Linda’s life and death, it was clear that O’Brien’s point of view was that of a man with a damaged heart. For example, he would tell a story that was full of engaging detail, intimate truth, and food for thought then turn on a dime and admit that the events of the story had never occurred. Mixing the vivid colors of the story until what was left was grey.
It dulled the experience of reading the stories, no matter how interesting or brilliantly constructed they were, it became impossible to read without wondering all along what was coming around the corner to spoil things. The result was as if a talented painter had created a masterpiece and then, when it was dry, placed it face down on the glass and made a photocopy. Understanding O’Brien’s childhood pain made this mode of storytelling easier to sympathize with.

Linda’s story reminds me of these words from “Grey Street”, but so does the entire book.

There's a loneliness inside her
And she'd do anything to fill it in
And though it's red blood bleeding from her now,
It feels like cold blue ice in her heart
When all the colors mix together 

It's grey, and it breaks her heart