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Reading about someone else’s experience of loss can make grief feel less lonely. The books below are well known and cover different approaches, from memoir to practical guidance. Choose what fits your pace; many grieving people find short chapters easiest.
Memoirs about losing a spouse
- The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion: a memoir of the year after the sudden death of her husband. Find on Amazon
- A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis: short reflections written after the death of his wife. Find on Amazon
Guides for living with grief
- It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine: a therapist’s book, written after the death of her partner, about grief that can’t simply be “fixed.” Find on Amazon
- Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant: on resilience and parenting after the sudden death of Sandberg’s husband. Find on Amazon
Grief journals
Writing can help when talking is hard. A guided grief journal offers prompts for difficult days. Browse grief journals
Books for children who have lost a parent
- The Invisible String by Patrice Karst: a picture book about staying connected to people we love. Find on Amazon
- Lifetimes by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen: explains life and death gently for young children. Find on Amazon
- When Dinosaurs Die by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown: answers children’s questions about death simply. Find on Amazon
Other support
Books are one source of comfort. Support groups and counseling help many people. See grief resources.