In crisis in the U.S.? Call or text 988. Veterans: dial 988, then press 1.

More help and resources

Books for Grief: A Reading List

Reading · 5 min read · First published 2026 · Updated November 2026

An open book with aged pages resting on a table
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Grief can make it hard to read at all. Some days a single page is too much, and some days you may want to read all night. Both are normal. No single book suits everyone.

These are books that many grieving people have found honest and comforting. A book that moves one person to tears may leave another cold, and that's okay.

If your grief is for a pet, you may also find comfort in pet loss books list. Losing an animal can be as deep a loss as any other, and you deserve support for it.

Honest company for the hard days

It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine (Sounds True, 2017). Devine is a therapist whose partner died in an accident. She says what many grieving people wish others understood: grief is not a problem to fix. Her words are blunt and kind, and it is a good book to give a friend who wants to know how to help. [affiliate link: It's OK That You're Not OK]

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (Vintage, 2007 paperback). A famous writer's memoir of the year after her husband's sudden death. It is raw, precise and unsentimental, and it shows how strange and disorienting grief can be. [affiliate link: The Year of Magical Thinking]

A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis (HarperOne). Lewis wrote this after his wife died, and he doesn't hide his anger or his struggles with his faith. It is short and very honest. Lewis was a Christian writer, so the book comes from a Christian point of view, and it will mean most to readers who share it or who are wrestling with faith. [affiliate link: A Grief Observed]

Grief Works: Stories of Life, Death, and Surviving by Julia Samuel (Scribner, 2019 paperback). A psychotherapist who has worked with bereaved families for more than 25 years shares true stories of people grieving a parent, a partner, a child and others. It is warm and practical, and it helps you feel less alone. [affiliate link: Grief Works]

Making room for the long road

Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler (Scribner, 2020 paperback). Kessler wrote this after the sudden death of his son. He suggests that some people find, over time, a way to carry love and meaning alongside the loss, not as a way of "getting over it." Many people find it hopeful. Meaning cannot be rushed. It comes in its own time, if it comes. [affiliate link: Finding Meaning]

Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart by Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD (Companion Press). Wolfelt is a grief counselor and educator. He offers ten simple ideas to return to, rather than stages to complete, and he writes with warmth. [affiliate link: Understanding Your Grief]

The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief by Francis Weller (North Atlantic Books, 2015). A psychotherapist writes about grief as something to be honored together, with ritual and community. It describes five "gates" of grief and offers rituals and prompts for reflection. [affiliate link: The Wild Edge of Sorrow]

Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joanne Cacciatore (Wisdom Publications, 2017). After her daughter was stillborn, Cacciatore founded the MISS Foundation to support grieving families. The book is especially tender for those who have lost a child, though anyone in deep grief may find a friend in it. [affiliate link: Bearing the Unbearable]

For children, and for grown-ups too

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers). A picture book about love as an invisible string that connects people, even when they are far apart. It is often used with children after a loss. [affiliate link: The Invisible String]

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel). A quiet, beautiful picture book about a girl who puts her heart away after a loss, and what it takes to bring it back. It has almost no words about death itself, and it works for children and adults alike. [affiliate link: The Heart and the Bottle]

Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss by Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen, illustrated by Taylor Bills (Grief Watch). A tender, illustrated story about a woman who "cooks" her grief in her own time. It is written for grown-ups and works well to read with older children. [affiliate link: Tear Soup]

Sources

Written by Words to Comfort

↑ Back to top