Grief can manifest in different ways to different people. Some manifest their grief by crying endlessly, while some will choose to just be alone by themselves. Others will immerse themselves with a certain activity to drown their emotions. Each person is different and everyone will show their grief in ways that seems natural to them. In this regard, there are many books written about grief, its mechanisms, its characteristics and how to cope with it. Here are the top five books on grief. If you are currently grieving, reading any one of these books will really help.
- “A Grief Observed”
This book was written by C.S. Lewis, the famous author of “The Chronicles of Narnia.” One of the insightful quotes written in this book is this: “Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape.” Lewis lost his wife Joy Gresham when she died of cancer. He lamented at the time of her death that it is just like he was amputated. His book was the theme that inspired the 1993 movie titled “Shadowlands.” In “A Grief Observed,” Lewis gave his raw account of grief that is very strong to induce a man of deep religious beliefs to doubt and question his faith. This book will help those who are grieving understand what they are going through.
- “I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One”
This book was written by two authors, Pamela Blair, PhD. and Brook Noel. One inspiring quotes in this book says “A heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” Some have called this book a “book of solace.” This is the book that you will be reading again and again because it is just like a friend that you can turn to in times of your grief. The two authors, Noel and Blair, have written different unique experiences of actual grief suffered by individuals after the death of their loved ones through homicides and suicides. This book also discusses the different ways that people grieve and the misunderstandings and myths about death. Reading this book will help you find the ways you can get over the pain of losing a loved one and how you can start your road to recovery.
- “Resilient Grieving: Finding Strength and Embracing Life After a Loss That Changes Everything”
This book was written by Lucy Hone, a professor of psychology. She wrote it after the death of her daughter who is only 12 years old due to a car accident. An inspiring quote from this book says “The death of someone we hold dear may be inevitable; being paralyzed by our grief is not.” This book contains information about the extensive knowledge she acquired from her research in bereavement. She combined this knowledge with positive psychology. This resulted in the book showing the capacity of humans to grow even after traumatic loss. Hone believes that humans have an innate ability of “resilient grieving” and she shows in her book the ways by which we can recover from grief and live more meaningful lives.
- “The Year of Magical Thinking”
This book was written by Joan Didion. The book is actually a memoir of her grief and mourning after her husband, Gregory Dunne died in 2003 due to a massive heart attack. Joan and her husband worked together writing books for 40 years before his death. At the time Gregory died, their daughter, Quintana, was confined in a hospital, unconscious due to septic shock and pneumonia. In the book, Joan recalls her system of “magical thinking” expecting her husband to come back. She resorted to this way of thinking in coping with her loss while tending to her sick daughter.
- Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
This book was written by Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO. An inspiring quote in this book says “When we realize that negative events don’t mean ‘everything is awful forever’ it makes us less depressed and more able to cope.” In this book, she recounts how she struggled with the sudden death of her husband, Dave Goldberg, also a Silicon Valley top executive, during their Mexico vacation. She co-wrote this book with Adam Grant, Ph.D., a professor of psychology in Wharton. “Option B” shows how your human spirit can help you to be resilient and how you can rediscover happiness after suffering from extreme pain and loss.