Chosen by Angela SchellenbergLicensed trauma therapist

Grief memoirs

Q: What is the best book to start with for reading about someone else's grief?

Angela’s first pick on this shelf is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. In her words: “After her mother died, Cheryl walked the Pacific Crest Trail. A memoir about how grief moves a body.”

Q: What other books does Angela recommend for reading about someone else's grief?

Also on this shelf: H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald; From Scratch by Tembi Locke; Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner; Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala; The Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke; The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Each one has a short note above on who it helps.

The grief writing I find most alive.

When you do not want self-help, you want someone to walk beside you. These walk well.

7 books · each with Angela’s note on who it helps

See the books ↓

The 7 books

Wild Cheryl Strayed3.9 · 42 ratings Angela saysAfter her mother died, Cheryl walked the Pacific Crest Trail. A memoir about how grief moves a body. View on Amazon

H is for Hawk Helen Macdonald3.8 · 20 ratings Angela saysAfter her father died, Helen trained a goshawk. A gorgeous, strange, unforgettable book about grief and wildness. View on Amazon

From Scratch Tembi Locke Angela saysOn losing her husband to cancer and what it took to find herself afterward. Warm, particular, full of Sicily. View on Amazon

Crying in H Mart Michelle Zauner3.8 · 29 ratings Angela saysA memoir about losing her mother in young adulthood. Food, identity, and a grief that does not resolve. View on Amazon

Wave Sonali Deraniyagala Angela saysSonali lost her parents, husband, and two sons in the 2004 tsunami. Spare, devastating, and one of the truest grief memoirs ever written. View on Amazon

The Long Goodbye Meghan O'Rourke Angela saysOn her mother's death and the long after. Particularly good on grief in a culture that wants you to move on. View on Amazon

The Year of Magical Thinking Joan Didion4.2 · 15 ratings Angela saysThe book that named the magical thinking after a sudden death. Spare, observed, foundational. View on Amazon

Common questions

What is the best book to start with for reading about someone else's grief?

Angela’s first pick on this shelf is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. In her words: “After her mother died, Cheryl walked the Pacific Crest Trail. A memoir about how grief moves a body.”

What other books does Angela recommend for reading about someone else's grief?

Also on this shelf: H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald; From Scratch by Tembi Locke; Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner; Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala; The Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke; The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Each one has a short note above on who it helps.

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