Grief is a natural response to loss. Here are nine books to help you understand your grief and navigate through the phase.
We all deal with grief at some point in our lives. Whether we are grieving the loss of a loved one, an opportunity, or a relationship, there’s a lot to unpack and process when we grieve.
A lot of us don’t know where to start. Maybe you aren’t sure about talking to someone about your feelings. It’s challenging to find a way to comprehend what you’re feeling. During this time, books on grief can be good companions, especially if they resonate with how you’re feeling at the moment. Seeing your feelings represented on paper can feel like a reassuring hug, making you feel more heard and seen.
Now, here’s the tricky part. There are many books on grief masquerading as your perfect escape. However, these ‘feel good’ books aren’t remotely what you might be looking for to give company to your pain. The best books on dealing with grief might not necessarily help you forget your pain. Frankly, that’s not how even grief works.
Good books on grief will help you feel less alone as you navigate challenging times in life. They will not tell you to stop feeling emotions or think about something else altogether. Instead, they will help you find comfort in your grief.
The best books on dealing with grief will help you understand that your pain is valid. They’ll make you stop questioning your emotions, and most importantly, they’ll let you know that this phase is temporary.
If you’re dealing with any form of grief and are looking for companions on your journey, here is YMHP’s list of the best books about grief. We have found comfort in these books. And we hope you will, too, whether you’re buying them for yourself or gifting them to a loved one who needs them more. Let’s dive in.
9 Best Books About Dealing With Grief
1. The Tidal Year By Freya Bromley
We’ll begin this list with one of the books on grief that completely changed how we perceived and thought about grief. The Tidal Year was shortlisted for the prestigious Nero Book Awards, which is just a testament to Freya Bromley’s brilliance.
This memoir follows the life of Freya, who’s dealing with the loss of her brother (Tom), and how she navigates her grief through swimming. Four years after Tom’s death, Freya sets out to explore the coast, eventually feeling closer than ever to her brother’s memories.
If you want to read one of the best books on dealing with grief, primarily through a modern lens of love, sisterhood, and rage – this is the perfect choice.
2. Poor Your Soul By Mira Ptacin
This list of the best books on grief is incomplete without this beautiful yet heartbreaking memoir by Mira Ptacin. In it, Mira explores the grief of losing a child through two lenses—one as a memoirist and the other as a mother herself.
Mira finds out she’s pregnant at the age of 28. Though this is an unplanned pregnancy, Mira embraces the idea of a family with her fiance, Andrew. However, a five-month ultrasound revealed that Mira’s baby would be born with severe complications and had no chance of survival post-birth. Left with no choice, Mira is forced to face the impossible idea of losing her baby.
The story runs parallel with Mira’s mother, who loses her only son to a freak accident. This interwoven mother-daughter story is filled with instances that’ll break your heart but force you to look at grief from a perspective you previously haven’t.
3. Crying In H Mart By Michelle Zauner
This is one of the best-selling books about grief, and it will forever be on everyone’s to-be-read (TBR) list. If you have been living under a rock and haven’t heard about it, this is your ultimate reminder to read it.
The book follows Zauner, who has distanced herself from her Korean roots. However, when her mother is diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer, Zauner is forced to reconcile with her native roots through food and relationships.
The reason why this makes it to our list of the best books on death is the way it explores the mother-daughter relationship. It unfurls the complex dynamic, helping readers understand how to grieve imperfect relationships.
4. The Museum Of Ordinary People By Mike Gayle
This is probably one of the best grief books we’ve come across for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one. The Musem of Ordinary People explores the connections humans have with material things when they’re left behind people they have lost.
The book follows Jess, who finally gathers the courage to sell her mother’s home. However, in the process, she finds a set of encyclopedias that were a gift from her mother. These books become a symbol for Jess as a testament to her mother’s dreams. These memories make it harder for Jess to let go of her home.
For people dealing with grief, this book is a profound exploration of attachment and the idea of letting go and moving on with life.
5. Notes On Grief By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Notes on Grief is one of the most stand-out books on navigating grief set during the COVID-19 pandemic. It delves into Adichie’s personal experience with the sudden death of her father.
This book captures the emotions of grief and the deep sense of absence that follows you in the most raw and honest forms. Through a series of intimate essays, Adichie shares her grief with unflinching honesty and vulnerability.
This is one of the best books on grief for those who want to feel heard and seen as they understand the reality of unexpected grief. It offers a sense of shared experience and the solace of knowing you’re not alone in your feelings of loss.
6. When Breath Becomes Air By Paul Kalanithi
This is one of the most heartwarming memoir books on grief. Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at the age of 36, Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s journey from a neurosurgeon to a patient as he confronts his mortality is captured with raw honesty. It offers a deeply personal look at his transition from saving lives to understanding the value of his own.
This is one of the best books on grief for anyone grappling with the reality of terminal illness—whether their own or that of a loved one. The heartfelt narrative will deeply empathize with those who have faced loss or are searching for meaning amidst impending grief.
7. Men We Reaped By Jesmyn Ward
We often ignore the grief around us. We become numb to societal injustice and find it easier to ignore such emotions. But Jesmyn Ward is on a mission to highlight the systemic inequalities in our world.
In this grief book, she gives a deeply moving account of loss and the issues that plague our community. Ward has experienced the early and unnecessary deaths of five young men in her life. In the wake of these losses, Ward explores what each death had in common and what it means to live in a community affected by regular, systemic, and devastating loss and grief.
Men We Reaped is one of the best books on grief and loss. It is a heartfelt exploration of lives unnecessarily cut down by racism, poverty, and systemic violence. It is an important read for anyone seeking to understand the deep-seated impact of systemic oppression and the personal toll it takes on individuals and their loved ones.
8. The Long Goodbye By Meghan O’Rourke
The Long Goodbye is a heartfelt exploration of grief by Megan following the loss of her mother to cancer on Christmas Day when she was 32 years old. O’Rourke delves into her surprise at the depth of her grief, remembering how her mother’s long illness and death – alongside her separation from her husband around the same time – significantly changed her life.
This memoir captures how these personal tragedies tested O’Rourke’s resilience and ultimately led her to a place of strength and joyful memories. The Long Goodbye is one of the best books for anyone navigating grief. It offers an intimate and honest portrayal of loss and the journey to finding strength in the face of lifelong pain and trauma.
9. Vintage Sadness By Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib
Vintage Sadness is one of the best poetry books on grief and loss. Written by the immensely talented Hanif Willis, it offers a poetic yet nuanced perspective on grief.
The poems in Vintage Sadness are filled with the weight and beauty of pain, even when tackling the most difficult subjects. Hanif explores her journey of becoming a writer as she comes to terms with her mother’s death during these poems.
Vintage Sadness is one of the books on grief that we promise you’ll keep returning to. It is truly a must-read for anyone looking to feel heard and seen as they navigate their pain.
Conclusion:
Books can be an unexpected source of companionship while dealing with loss. They can help you feel heard and seen at times when everything feels out of place and disoriented. The best books on grief can provide a sense of comfort and eventually help you come back to yourself.
With these nine memories, novels, and poetry collections, we hope you find solace and strength as you navigate the tumultuous journey of grieving.
While the best books on death and loss can be good companions, dealing with grief is tough, and there’s no shame in asking for help. In fact, asking for help is now easier than ever with the advent of online therapy platforms. To learn more about the most affordable and convenient online therapy platforms, click here.
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