Read a Book Day is marked every year on September 6. It reminds us to put away our phones and pick up a book. This year, we’re highlighting 10 inspiring books on bereavement and loss to help support those on a grief journey.
Motherless Mothers: How Losing a Mother Shapes the Parent You Become - Hope Edelman
When she became a parent, Hope Edelman found herself thinking again about the loss of her mother. In this book she writes about the unique anxieties that women can experience raising their children without the help of a ‘living maternal guide’. Through the stories of mothers and practical advice from experienced professionals, she offers motherless mothers guidance and support.
The Little Book of Grieving: A Pocket Guide to Grief - J T Talbot
At less than 100 pages, this book is a helpful introduction into what you can expect when you experience a bereavement. It is a mix of facts, theories and personal grief stories. It looks at why we all grieve in our own ways and in our own time and offers practical suggestions on how to live with a loss.
Losing Young: How to Grieve When Your Life is Just Beginning - Rachel Wilson
Rachel Wilson’s mother died when Rachel was in her twenties. In this book, Wilson tells her own story and stories from others who have lost parents, siblings, partners and friends at a young age. An insightful book about the loneliness of grief and the power of community, it is for anyone who has experienced bereavement or those who want to support those that have.
The Madness of Grief – Reverend Richard Coles
Death has long been part of the Reverend Richard Coles' life and work, but when his partner died unexpectedly, much about death took Coles by surprise. Described as heartwarming, heartbreaking and strangely comforting, it is a frank account of the trials endured in the weeks between the death and the funeral of a loved one.
A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis
Long deemed a classic, A Grief Observed was written by The Chronicles of Narnia author C.S. Lewis, following the death of his wife. It was released in 1961, under the pseudonym N.W. Clerk. The book details the author’s ‘anger and bewilderment’ in the wake of his wife’s death, and his thoughts on life without her.
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion
The Year of Magical Thinking is Joan Didion’s ‘attempt to make sense’ of the 12 months following the sudden death of her husband. The renowned journalist weaved ideas from psychological research on grief, as well as medical research, into the book. The book was completed a year and a day after her husband died.
Grief Journey - Dr. Bill Webster
Dr. Bill Webster is a grief counsellor and author, offering a range of books on bereavement through his Grief Journey website. Since the loss of his wife and later his son, Dr. Webster has drawn on both his personal experience, and academic research, to support individuals at all stages of their grief journey. Webster describes the book as a ‘road map through the grieving process’.
It’s OK That You’re Not OK - Megan Devine
Subtitled Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand, Devine’s book challenges the idea that grief is something to be cured. She argues that instead we must learn how to create a life alongside grief. The author is a trained therapist, but she also draws from the personal experience of tragically losing her partner.
Good Mourning: Honest conversations about grief and loss - Imogen Carn & Sally Douglas
This book has been called ‘a comforting support group in book form’. Written by the co-hosts of the Good Mourning podcast, the book offers advice on coping with the isolation and loneliness of bereavement. It contains insights from others who have experienced grief, as well as from experts. Wherever you are in your grieving journey, this book aims to help make sense of it.
Complete Book of Funeral Planning, Readings and Music - Rachel Johnstone-Burt, Alison Gibbs, and Reverend John Wynburne
Covering a wide variety of funeral styles, this book offers advice on funeral planning, whether for yourself or for a loved one. It covers both the practical and the emotional issues involved in making funeral arrangements. Included are tips on music choices, readings, funeral venues, and more. The book also considers the wider grieving process.
