The Best Books To Read When You Are Grieving And Healing

Grief is complex. It doesn’t follow a straight path, nor does it show up the same way for everyone.

Whether you’re mourning the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a major life shift, books can provide solace, clarity, and the sense that you are not alone.

These carefully chosen works speak to the heart of grief — its sorrow, confusion, anger, and even moments of strange, unexpected beauty.

1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Written by a neurosurgeon diagnosed with terminal cancer, this memoir is both heartbreaking and illuminating. Kalanithi’s reflections on identity, purpose, and mortality offer a profound meditation on what it means to live and die with intention.

For those grieving, it offers both resonance and perspective.

2. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Joan Didion’s exploration of the year following her husband’s sudden death is raw, intellectual, and achingly personal. She dissects grief with precision and lyricism, capturing the irrational thoughts and looping memories that define mourning. It validates the surreal experience of early grief.

3. Healing After Loss by Martha Whitmore Hickman

Structured as a daily devotional, this book offers small but impactful reflections for each day of the year. It’s ideal for readers who want comfort in manageable doses.

Its gentle wisdom makes it especially supportive in the long, quiet stretches of grief.

4. It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine

This book directly challenges the cultural narrative that grief should be quickly overcome. Devine, a therapist who lost her partner, advocates for feeling your pain rather than fixing it. She empowers readers to honor their grief and resist pressure to “move on.”

5. Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

A poetic, genre-blending novel about a father and his sons grieving their mother’s death, this book is strange, magical, and emotional. It uses metaphor, a crow who comes to stay, to portray grief’s chaotic, intrusive nature. Perfect for readers who find solace in metaphor and art.

6. A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

Lewis’s journal of mourning his wife is deeply honest. He writes about faith, doubt, and the sheer pain of loss. It’s particularly powerful for those wrestling with spiritual questions in the wake of grief.

7. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

A darkly funny and deeply emotional memoir, McCurdy’s story explores complicated grief and the trauma of an abusive parent. For those grappling with mixed feelings after a loss, this book is a rare and validating experience.

8. If You’re Grieving, by Jacqueline Whitney

Jacqueline Whitney’s If You’re Grieving breathes alongside you — one simple, powerful page at a time. In this heartfelt collection of prose and poetry, Whitney offers a soft landing place for those navigating the raw and unpredictable terrain of grief.