Books on Grief

Grief is Love by Marisa Renee Lee

“Grief is love, and love is the antidote to grief.” This book is like a kind friend telling you that your grief journey won't look like anyone else's journey and that's ok; give yourself some grace to grieve in your own way.

Holding Space on loving, dying and letting go by Amy Wright Glenn

“There's nothing pathological about mourning. Furthermore, anyone who has been torn asunder by loss knows that prior normalcy is never regained. Our very bones and sinews are transformed. We are irrevocably changed after the passing of those we love.” Amy Wright Glenn

The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller

“There is some strange intimacy between grief and aliveness, some sacred exchange between what seems unbearable and what is most exquisitely alive. Through this, I have come to have a lasting faith in grief.” Francis Weller

The Other Side of Sadness by George A. Bonanno

“All emotions, including sadness, are designed to be short-term solu­tions. If we remain in a constant state of sadness or feel sad for too long a time, we run the risk of ruminating and withdrawing from the world
around us. If we express too much sadness, we begin to alienate the very people whose help and support we most need.” George A. Bonanno

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

“My life was a glass of water, and she was a single drop of food coloring. As the years continue to pass, I worry that I'm forgetting her. I feel like I'm on one of those moving walkways at the airport and I can see her getting smaller and smaller as I travel slowly into the future without her.” Tyler Feder

Dead People Suck by Laurie Kilmartin

“Comedy is tragedy plus x, with x being an amount of time defined by the person experiencing the tragedy. Some people need less time than others. I joked about Dad’s death as it was happening. But that gave some friends the impression they could join in . No . My dad, my jokes. A Facebook friend posted one day after Dad died: “Welcome to the Dead Dad Club.” I hated him instantly. He was an Early Orphan. I scrolled through his profile pictures, I saw smiles . Life had gone on for him. I didn’t want to be in his stupid club, I didn’t want to read his wry asides.” Laurie Kilmartin

Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler

“I didn't know that my brother's death was defining me. I didn't know that I had the ability to say no to being defined by death. Now I was with a person who could help me process what happened and turn the parts of me that acted like a nine-year-old into a self-actualized adult who had come to a better understanding of what it means to dig deep and admit your pain - thereby beginning the process of relinquishing it.” Chelsea Handler

It’s OK that you’re Not OK by Megan Devine

“The reality of grief is far different from what others see from the outside. There is pain in this world that you can't be cheered out of. You don't need solutions.” Megan Devine