Losing a loved one is never an easy road; it’s a time when you need the support of family and friends the most.
But even with the most supportive team around you, processing your grief is something only you can do for yourself. The good thing is, many books can help you through the different stages of grief so you can get onto the road to healing.
Best Books to Help with Loss and Grief
Check out some of these books to help you work through your loss and grief:
1. Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
In this New York Times bestseller, Sheryl Sandberg shares the journey she underwent when her husband suddenly died. She describes the feeling as like having “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” If this resonates with you, her partnership with Wharton psychologist Adam Grant will likely be like a breath of fresh air.
2. The Other Side of Sadness by George Bonanno
This book shares insights from a renowned psychologist about mourning being predictable, but deviates from the conventional view of the five stages of grieving. Instead, he uses our inborn emotions like anger, denial, joy, and relief to help you deal with loss in an effective way.
3. Bearing the Unbearable by Joanne Cacciatore
The pain of losing a loved one can seem unbearable. The short chapters in this book will help you through the most difficult times and guide you towards opening your heart to compassion and connection. The author uses stories of her own encounters with grief as she supported communities, families, and individuals through the grieving process.
4. Living When a Loved One Has Died by Earl Grollman
In this book, expert writer Earl Grollman walks through kinds of emotions you can expect during the grieving process. He also shares how to avoid pitfalls and work through your feelings of loss, work towards healing, and slowly building new lives.
5. I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye by Brook Noel
The loss of a loved one is particularly difficult when the death is sudden or unexpected. Thankfully, this books extends a comforting hand as you go through the grief, including its short-term and long-term effects on your emotional and even physical well-being.
6. Healing the Adult Sibling’s Grieving Heart by Alan Wolfelt
This book offers 100 practical tips for accepting the death of a sibling to help you process your emotions and start healing. The action-oriented ideas can help you face the loss, whether it was an anticipated or sudden death.
7. Surviving the Death of a Sibling by T.J. Wray
As someone who experienced the loss of an adult brother, T.J. Wray wrote this book to help you acknowledge and process your own loss, especially in the aftermath of losing a brother or sister.
8. It’s OK that You’re Not OK by Megan Devine
In a culture that struggles to embrace loss and grief, this book helps you understand that there is nothing wrong with grieving and there’s no need to “cure” it as soon as possible. This is a good book to read to help you experience grief in a healthy way, and can also help you to support someone undergoing grief.
9. Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller
If you’re asking questions about pain and suffering, this book will help you make sense of your pain. The author uses personal stories as well as ancient wisdom from the Bible to help you overcome the pain of loss.
Best Books to Help Children with Grief
Sometimes, our loss may come with the added responsibility of helping children cope with their own emotions. These books can help you support children through a season of grief and loss:
10. Someone I Love Died by Christine Harder Tangvald
This picture book is filled with refreshing watercolor illustrations and heart-healing lines that will help you guide your children through grief. Using biblical truth, it helps children create their own memory book of the deceased loved one’s life.
11. Modern Loss: Candid Conversations About Grief by Rebecca Soffer
This book offers a fresh look into how to navigate grief and become resilient. Using original essays written in a candid way, it helps to give teens and young adults comfort for coping with the pain of loss, in the midst of social media posts that let us express our condolences using hashtags and posts.
12. Straight Talk about Death for Teenagers by Earl Grollman
Earl Grollman is the well-known author for the book Living When a Loved One Has Died. He writes this book especially for teens, a phase of life which is already running amuck with emotions. Thanks to this guide, you can help a teenager you know deal with the feelings of loss that come with the death of a loved one.
Coming Out Stronger Through the Grief
If you’re currently undergoing a season of pain and grief, please know that our hearts go out to you. Be sure to find people to support you through this process, and find things to do to help you build life again.
And don’t forget to take care of yourself! Remember to make time for self-care, even if it’s just a few minutes of meditation or a healthy meal.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
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Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
