Topic

Books about grief and loss

Books about grief, most of them written by people who lost someone and wrote their way through it: a child, a sibling, a spouse, a parent. A few are by counselors and chaplains who sit with grieving families for a living.

This list holds 11 books published between 2017 and 2025, 2 with an audiobook edition. A book is on it only when grief and loss is a central subject of the book, judged from the book's own description, not when it comes up in passing. The most-rated on Amazon come first.

Books about grief and loss

Cover of Glitter Saints by Robin Brown

Glitter Saints

The Cosmic Art of Forgiveness, a Memoir

Robin Brown · 2024 · Audiobook

My parents both left this planet covered in glitter. Death came for each of them right in the middle of what they were working on. As I held and kissed them for the last time, patches of glitter transferred to my hands and face like tiny passed torches. For…

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Cover of A Journey Without a Map by John Sardella

A Journey Without a Map

Stories of Loss, Grief, and Moving Forward

John Sardella · 2020

After twenty-seven years of marriage, John Sardella lost the love of his life when his wife, Margaret, passed away following a seven-year battle with cancer. John looked for a book that would give him space for his pain and inspire him to move forward, but…

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Cover of When Grief Is Good by Cindy Finch

When Grief Is Good

Turning Your Greatest Loss into Your Biggest Lesson

Cindy Finch · 2021 · Audiobook

Grief is many things. It’s losing a job or divorcing a partner. It’s a traumatic or terminal illness, the death of a loved one, or an addiction that threatens the life we love. But grief is also canceled plans, missed opportunities, and lives forever…

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Cover of You Promised to Do No Harm by Jonnie Ramsey Brown

You Promised to Do No Harm

Jonnie Ramsey Brown · 2023

For forty-five years, Jonnie and Thomas Brown built a life together. They supported each other through college, marched together to receive their degrees, formed a family, traveled, and shared the love of a lifetime. When Thomas fell ill on a trip to Florida…

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Cover of Death Expands Us by Stephanie Harris

Death Expands Us

Stephanie Harris · 2017

The loss of a loved one leaves an empty space in our lives that can’t be filled. Stephanie Harris is a professional grief coach who has experienced profound loss in her own lifetime. She understands firsthand how the death of someone close can leave the…

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Cover of Bigger than My Body by Natalie K. Watson

Bigger than My Body

Natalie K. Watson · 2025

In 2010, fewer than fifty people in the world had diagnosed ADSLD. Natalie Watson’s sons were two of them. Bigger Than My Body is Natalie’s unforgettable story of mothering children with an incurable, life-limiting disease that robbed them of the life she…

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Cover of Death's Red Tape by Mark Colgan

Death's Red Tape

Mark Colgan · 2022

A week before 9/11, Mark Colgan lost his wife to heart disease. In the span of a single day, he went from waking up next to her to planning her burial. Even for a Certified Financial Planner™, the mountain of financial and legal details that spanned the next…

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Cover of Saving My Sister by Nicole Woodruff

Saving My Sister

How I Created Meaning from Addiction and Loss

Nicole Woodruff · 2022

On June 13, 2019, Nicole Woodruff got the call she had been dreading for years. Her sister, Amanda, had suffered a fatal overdose. Amanda had become addicted to heroin as a young woman. For five years, Nicole and her family struggled to help as Amanda cycled…

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Cover of The Suicide Club by Alexandra Wyman

The Suicide Club

by Alexandra Wyman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

Alexandra Wyman · 2022

Alexandra Wyman was plunged into grief when her husband died by suicide. The sudden loss of the love of her life left her reeling with unanswered questions. In The Suicide Club: What to Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death, Alexandra explores her journey…

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Cover of Messages from Above: What Your Loved Ones in Heaven Want You to Know by Monica Ten-Kate

Messages from Above: What Your Loved Ones in Heaven Want You to Know

Monica Ten-Kate · 2019

Infused with Monica's signature blend of empathy, authenticity, and light-hearted humor, Messages from Above will make you laugh as much as you cry. It's for anyone who's ever struggled with unresolved questions and feelings such as guilt or disbelief after…

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Cover of Missing Pieces...Broken Heart by B.J. Shonk

Missing Pieces...Broken Heart

B.J. Shonk

Your pet is your special friend and cherished companion. Dealing with their loss or impending loss can prove painful beyond imagining. B.J. Shonk has been there, and she's ready to help guide you through the grieving process with wisdom, compassion, and…

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