When dealing with grief it can be hard to put your own feelings into words, so reading someone else’s can often be helpful. Although reading can be challenging during bereavement, it can be one method of coping with loss and understanding how grief can affect you.
That’s why we asked our community for their help in curating what books are helping them during the grief journey ahead.
Grief Day by Day:
Simple Practices and Daily Guidance for Living with Loss
Author: Jan Warner
This one is almost like a grief devotional. It’s perfect for those days when grief brain kicks in, and you don’t have it in you to actually focus on reading a book. It provides guidance to help you create a life in which peace can coexist with grief. Read more.
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand
Author: Megan Divine
One of our personal favorite grief books brings a new approach to the way we experience loss, and how others can assist the bereaved. Our community said this one was of the most helpful during their journey and makes for a great gift for a friend who is hurting. Read More.
A Grief Observed
Author: C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis wrote this book after the death of his wife as a reflection on the issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss. Although it doesn’t focus on providing grief coping skills, it’s helpful in providing comfort and understanding. Read More.
Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief:
A Revolutionary Approach to Understanding and Healing the Impact of Loss
Author: Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC
Grief can have other effects apart from sadness, like anxiety. Whether you have experienced anxious feelings before grief or because of it, Smith guides you through the process. Read More.
Before and After Loss: A Neurologist’s Perspective on Loss, Grief, and Our Brain
Author: Lisa M. Shulman, MD
Dr. Shulman shares her personal experience of losing her husband with the medical perspective of being a neurologist. Within this grief book, you can read the original journals she wrote concerning her husband’s treatment and his writings as he faced an anticipatory death. This book is full of insight as it addresses grief from the dying person, the spouse, and the journey of love after loss. Read More.
Once More We Saw Stars: A Memoir of Life and Love After Unimaginable Loss
Author: Jayson Greene
This memoir by Jayson Greene is so full of emotion, and not only focuses on the fragility of life and death, but also the unconquerable power of love. Read More.
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow
Author: Elizabeth Lesser
There can still be hope in pain and loss. The author shares stories about tough times and hardships and the purpose and joy that can be found within them. The book includes a toolbox to help readers navigate difficult moments and walk with a greater passion for life. Read More.
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
Author: Sheryl Sandberg
Sandberg experienced the shattering loss of her husband and thought life would be empty and void afterward. With the help of her friend, psychologist Adam Grant, she learned how to build resiliency and walk with grief as she planned for a life she never imagined. Read More.
The Year of Magical Thinking
Author: Joan Didion
In 2003, Didion lost her daughter and husband. Her memoir takes you through her journey and can be helpful to anyone who has lost a close family member. Read More.
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death
Author: Maggie O’Farrell
This is a collection of essays on Maggie O’Farrell’s life and explores how trauma affects us in life and in our behaviors. Read More.