The titles below were submitted as recommended reading by members of the Growing Through Loss committee.
Keeping in mind that everyone grieves differently, these books are suggested as resources you may find helpful.
Keeping in mind that everyone grieves differently, these books are suggested as resources you may find helpful.
GENERAL GRIEF
ABC's of Healthy Grieving: A Companion for Everyday Coping, Harold Ivan Smith; Copyright 2007 (2nd ed.): Ave Maria Press
A Time to Mourn, A Time to Dance, Margaret Metzgar, MA, CMHC; Copyright 2002: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Ambiguous Parables: Poems and Prose of Loss and Renewal, Ted Bowman, Copyright 2021: Nodin Press
Comfort and be Comforted: Reflections for Caregivers, Pat Samples; Copyright 2003: ACTA Publications
Crossroads: Stories At The Intersections, Ted Bowman; Copyright 2008: IBOC Moravian Church
Cry Until You Laugh: Comforting Guidance For Coping With Grief, Richard Obershaw; Copyright 2004: Beaver's Pond Press
Death and Life (Catholic Perspectives), Martin C. D'Arcy, SJ; Copyright 2000: Roman Catholic Books
Finding Hope When Dreams Have Shattered, Ted Bowman; Copyright 2001: Ted Bowman
Good Grief: A Constructive Approach to the Problem of Loss, Granger E. Westberg; Copyright 1979: Fortress Press
Grace for Today, Hope for Tomorrow: Personal Reflections on Grief and Loss, Marian G. Eisenmann; Copyright 2017: Stories for Living
Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan: A Biopsychosocial Perspective, Carolyn Ambler Walter, PhD, LCSW & Judith L.M. McCoyd, PhD, LCSW, QCSW; Copyright 2009: Springer Publishing Company
Grief Demystified: A Companion Through Change, Brenda DeMotte; Copyright 2016: Professional Counseling & Grief Services, Inc.
Grief Therapy For Men, Linus Mundy & R.W. Alley; Copyright 1998: Abbey Press
Grieving for Dummies, Greg Harvey, PhD; Copyright 2007: For Dummies
Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief, Martha Whitmore Hickman; Copyright 1994: William Morrow Paperbacks
Healing Your Grief, Ruthann Williams, OP; Copyright 1995 (rev.): Resurrection Press
Holding Onto Hope, Nancy Guthrie; Copyright 2002 (3rd edition): Tyndale House Publishing
How to go on Living When Someone You Love Dies, Therese A. Rando, PhD; Copyright 1991 (reprint): Bantam
How to Survive the Loss of a Love, Melba Colgrove, Harold H. Bloomfield & Peter McWilliams; Copyright 2006: Prelude Press
In Lieu of Flowers: A Conversation for the Living, Nancy Cobb; Copyright 2002 (reprint): Pantheon
In the Arms of God, Dr. James Dobson; Copyright 1997; Tyndale House Publishers
Into The Abyss of Suffering: A Catholic View, Kenneth R. Overberg, SJ; Copyright 2003: St. Anthony Messenger Press
It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand, Megan Devine; Copyright 2017: Sounds True
Laugh! I Thought I'd Die (If I Didn't): Daily Meditations on Healing Through Humor, Anne Wilson Schaef; Copyright 1990: Ballantine Books
Living When A Loved One Has Died, Earl A. Grollman; Copyright 2014: Souvenir Press Ltd.
Loss of Dreams: A Special Kind of Grief, Ted Bowman; Copyright 1994 (4th edition): Ted Bowman
My Brother Dave: Living Through a Loved One's Death, Kris Linner; Copyright 2005: Brill Publishing
Now That You've Gone Home: Courage and Comfort for Times of Grief, Joyce Hutchinson & Joyce Rupp; Copyright 2009: Ave Maria Press
On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler; Copyright 2014 (reprint): Scribner
On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler; Copyright 2014: Scribner
Our Hearts Still Sing (Meditations), Peter Millar; Copyright 2004: Wild Goose Publications
Praying Your Goodbyes: A Spiritual Companion Through Life's Losses and Sorrows, Joyce Rupp; Copyright 2012 (rev.): Ave Maria Press
Seasons of Goodbye: Working Your Way Through Loss, Chris Ann Waters; Copyright 2000: Sorin Books
The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief, Jan Richardson; Copyright 2020: Wanton Gospeller Press
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages, Leo Buscaglia; Copyright 1982: Slack Incorporated
The First Christmas: Finding Your Way After Loss, Erica Staab; Copyright 2020: Independently Published
The Grief Club: The Secret to Getting Through All Kinds of Change, Melody Beattie; Copyright 2006: Hazelden Publishing
The Grief Recovery Handbook: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce and Other Losses, John W. James & Russell Friedman; Copyright 1998 (2nd ed. rev.): Harper Paperbacks
The In-Between, Erica Staab; Copyright 2011; CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch; Copyright 2008: Hyperion
The Next Place, Warren Hanson; Copyright 1999: Child's Play (International) Ltd.
The Truth About Grief: The Myth of its Five Stages and the New Science of Loss, Ruth Davis Konigsberg; Copyright 2011: Simon & Schuster
The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society, Henri J.M. Nouwen; Copyright 1979: Image Books
This Thing Called Grief: New Understandings of Loss, Thomas M. Ellis; Copyright 2006: Tasora Books
Thoughts and Prayers: For Those Experiencing Loss, Kathryn M. Holmes; Copyright 2020: KMH Publishing
Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering, Timothy Keller; Copyright (2013): Viking
When Bad Things Happen To Good People, Harold S. Kushner; Copyright 2004 (reprint): Anchor
When God Doesn't Fix It, Laura Story and Jennifer Schuchmann; Copyright 2015: Thomas Nelson
When Mourning Comes: A Book of Comfort for the Grieving, Rabbi William B. Silverman & Kenneth M. Cinnamon; Copyright 1994 (rev.): Jason Aronson, Inc.
When Someone Dies, Edgar Newman Jackson; Copyright 1971; Fortress Press
DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF
Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief, Pauline Boss; Copyright 2000: Harvard University Press
Disenfranchised Grief: Recognizing Hidden Sorrow, Kenneth J. Doka; Copyright 1989: Lexington Books
Disenfranchised Grief: Recognizing Hidden Sorrow, Kenneth J. Doka; Copyright 1989: Lexington Books
ACCIDENTAL OR SUDDEN LOSS
I Wasn't Ready To Say Good-Bye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Loss of a Loved One, Pamela Blair, PhD & Brook Noel; Copyright 2008: Sourcebooks, Inc.
No Time for Goodbyes: Coping with Sorrow, Anger, and Injustice After A Tragic Death, Janice Harris Lord; Copyright 2014 ( 7th ed.): Compassion Press
No Time for Goodbyes: Coping with Sorrow, Anger, and Injustice After A Tragic Death, Janice Harris Lord; Copyright 2014 ( 7th ed.): Compassion Press
LOSS OF A SPOUSE
A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis; Copyright 2001: Harper One
A Widow's Journey: Reflections on Walking Alone, Gayle Roper; Copyright 2015: Harvest House Publishers
Believe: A Young Widow's Journey Through Brokenness and Back, Jennifer Silvera; Copyright 2009: Kregel Publications
Getting to the Other Side of Grief: Overcoming the Loss of a Spouse, Susan J. Zonnebelt-Smeege, RN, EdD & Robert C. De Fries; Copyright 1998: Baker Books
Letter To My Husband: Notes About Mourning and Recovery, Jill Truman; Copyright 1988: Penguin Books
Reflections of A Grieving Spouse: The Unexpected Journey from Loss to Renewed Hope, Norman Wright; Copyright 2009: Harvest House Publishers
The Lonely House: Strength for Times of Loss, Lowell O. Erdahl; Copyright 1989 (rev.): CSS Publishing Company
A Widow's Journey: Reflections on Walking Alone, Gayle Roper; Copyright 2015: Harvest House Publishers
Believe: A Young Widow's Journey Through Brokenness and Back, Jennifer Silvera; Copyright 2009: Kregel Publications
Getting to the Other Side of Grief: Overcoming the Loss of a Spouse, Susan J. Zonnebelt-Smeege, RN, EdD & Robert C. De Fries; Copyright 1998: Baker Books
Letter To My Husband: Notes About Mourning and Recovery, Jill Truman; Copyright 1988: Penguin Books
Reflections of A Grieving Spouse: The Unexpected Journey from Loss to Renewed Hope, Norman Wright; Copyright 2009: Harvest House Publishers
The Lonely House: Strength for Times of Loss, Lowell O. Erdahl; Copyright 1989 (rev.): CSS Publishing Company
LOSS OF A PARENT
A Sorrow Shared: A Combined Edition of the Nouwen Classics "In Memoriam" and "A Letter of Consolation", Henri J.M. Nouwen; Copyright 2010: Ave Maria Press
In Memoriam, Henri J.M. Nouwen; Copyright 1984: Ave Maria Press
Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, Hope Edelman; Copyright 1994: Addison Wesley
The Orphaned Adult: Understanding and Coping with Grief and Change after the Death of our Parents, Alexander Levy; Copyright 2000 (rev.): Du Capo Lifelong Books
In Memoriam, Henri J.M. Nouwen; Copyright 1984: Ave Maria Press
Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, Hope Edelman; Copyright 1994: Addison Wesley
The Orphaned Adult: Understanding and Coping with Grief and Change after the Death of our Parents, Alexander Levy; Copyright 2000 (rev.): Du Capo Lifelong Books
LOSS OF A CHILD
Andrew, You Died Too Soon, Corinne Chilstrom; Copyright 1993: Augsburg Books
Five Cries of Grief: Our Family's Journey to Healing after the Tragic Death of a Son, Merton P. Strommen, PhD & A. Irene Strommen; Copyright 1996: Augsburg Books
Real Men Do Cry, Eric Hipple, Dr. Gloria Horsley & Dr. Heidi Horsley; Copyright 2008: Quality of Life Publishing Company
You Are the Mother of All Mothers - A Message of Hope for the Grieving Heart, Angela Miller; Copyright 2014: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Five Cries of Grief: Our Family's Journey to Healing after the Tragic Death of a Son, Merton P. Strommen, PhD & A. Irene Strommen; Copyright 1996: Augsburg Books
Real Men Do Cry, Eric Hipple, Dr. Gloria Horsley & Dr. Heidi Horsley; Copyright 2008: Quality of Life Publishing Company
You Are the Mother of All Mothers - A Message of Hope for the Grieving Heart, Angela Miller; Copyright 2014: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
LOSS OF A GRANDCHILD
For Bereaved Grandparents , Margaret H. Gerner; Copyright 1990, rev. 2004: Centering Corporation
Healing A Grandparent's Grieving Heart - 100 Practical Ideas After Your Grandchild Dies, Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD; Copyright 2014:
Companion Press
For Bereaved Grandparents , Margaret H. Gerner; Copyright 1990, rev. 2004: Centering Corporation
Healing A Grandparent's Grieving Heart - 100 Practical Ideas After Your Grandchild Dies, Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD; Copyright 2014:
Companion Press
TEENS EXPERIENCING LOSS
A Reflective Grief Journal for Children & Teens, Diana Hamlett & Sonja Sharif; Copyright 2018: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
When A Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving & Healing, Marilyn E. Gootman, EdD; Copyright 2005 (rev.): Free Spirit Publishing
When A Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving & Healing, Marilyn E. Gootman, EdD; Copyright 2005 (rev.): Free Spirit Publishing
CHILDREN EXPERIENCING LOSS
I Miss You: A First Look at Death (First Look At Books), Pat Thomas & Leslie Harker; Copyright 2001: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children, Bryan Mellonie & Robert Ingpen; Copyright 1983: Bantam Books
Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss (Elf Help Books for Kids), Michaelene Mundy & R.W. Alley; Copyright 1998: Abbey Press
Stella's Story: Dealing With Sibling Loss, Amanda Seefeld Markle & Christopher Bowman; Copyright 2017: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
The Loss That is Forever: The Lifelong Impact of the Early Death of a Mother or Father, Maxine Harris, PhD; Copyright 1996: Penguin Books
What's Heaven?, Maria Shriver & Sandra Speidel; Copyright 2007: Golden Books Adult Publishing
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death, Laurie Krasny Brown & Marc Brown; Copyright 1998 (reprint): Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
When Your Grandparent Dies: A Child's Guide to Good Grief (Elf Help Books for Kids), Victoria Ryan & R.W. Alley; Copyright 2002: Abbey Press
Where Are You? A Child's Book About Loss, Laura Olivieri; Copyright 2007: Lulu.com
Why Did You Die?: Activities to Help Children Cope with Grief & Loss, Ellen Goldring, LPC & Erika Leeuwenburgh, LPC; Copyright 2008: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
I Miss You: A First Look at Death (First Look At Books), Pat Thomas & Leslie Harker; Copyright 2001: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children, Bryan Mellonie & Robert Ingpen; Copyright 1983: Bantam Books
Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss (Elf Help Books for Kids), Michaelene Mundy & R.W. Alley; Copyright 1998: Abbey Press
Stella's Story: Dealing With Sibling Loss, Amanda Seefeld Markle & Christopher Bowman; Copyright 2017: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
The Loss That is Forever: The Lifelong Impact of the Early Death of a Mother or Father, Maxine Harris, PhD; Copyright 1996: Penguin Books
What's Heaven?, Maria Shriver & Sandra Speidel; Copyright 2007: Golden Books Adult Publishing
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death, Laurie Krasny Brown & Marc Brown; Copyright 1998 (reprint): Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
When Your Grandparent Dies: A Child's Guide to Good Grief (Elf Help Books for Kids), Victoria Ryan & R.W. Alley; Copyright 2002: Abbey Press
Where Are You? A Child's Book About Loss, Laura Olivieri; Copyright 2007: Lulu.com
Why Did You Die?: Activities to Help Children Cope with Grief & Loss, Ellen Goldring, LPC & Erika Leeuwenburgh, LPC; Copyright 2008: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
LOSS OF A PET
The Loss of A Pet, Wallace Sife; Copyright 2005: Howell Book House/Wiley General Trade, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
CARE FOR THE ILL & SUFFERING
Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying, Maggie Callahan & Patricia Kelley; Copyright 2012 (reprint): Simon & Schuster
If I Could Be Sick for You for Just One Day, Kathy Cramer & Steve Harmon; Copyright 2005: Tristan Publishing
If I Could Be Sick for You for Just One Day, Kathy Cramer & Steve Harmon; Copyright 2005: Tristan Publishing
NOVELS
Good Grief: A Novel, Lolly Winston; Copyright 2004: Grand Central Publishing
The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity, William P. Young; Copyright 2007: Windblown Media
The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity, William P. Young; Copyright 2007: Windblown Media
POETRY
Ambiguous Parables: Poems and Prose of Loss and Renewal, Ted Bowman, Copyright 2021: Nodin Press
The Wind Blows, The Ice Breaks: Poems of Loss and Renewal by Minnesota Poets, edited by Ted Bowman & Elizabeth Bourque Johnson; Copyright 2010: Nodin Press
The Wind Blows, The Ice Breaks: Poems of Loss and Renewal by Minnesota Poets, edited by Ted Bowman & Elizabeth Bourque Johnson; Copyright 2010: Nodin Press
REFLECTIONS ON NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES
Closer to the Light: Learning from the Near-Death Experiences of Children, Melvin Morse, MD with Paul Perry; Copyright 1991: Ivy Books
Forever Ours: A Forensic Pathologist's Perspective on Immortality and Living, Janis Amatuzio, MD; Copyright 2004: New World Library
Heaven is for Real, Todd Burpo & Lynn Vincent; Copyright 2010: Thomas Nelson
Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl and Her Amazing Story of Healing, Christy Wilson Beam; Copyright 2016: Hachette Books
Proof of Heaven, Eben Alexander, MD; Copyright 2012: Simon & Schuster
The Light Beyond, Raymond A. Moody, MD; Copyright 1989: Bantam
Waking Up in Heaven: A True Story of Brokenness, Heaven and Life Again, Crystal McVea & Alex Tresniowski; Copyright 2013 (reprint): Howard Books
Forever Ours: A Forensic Pathologist's Perspective on Immortality and Living, Janis Amatuzio, MD; Copyright 2004: New World Library
Heaven is for Real, Todd Burpo & Lynn Vincent; Copyright 2010: Thomas Nelson
Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl and Her Amazing Story of Healing, Christy Wilson Beam; Copyright 2016: Hachette Books
Proof of Heaven, Eben Alexander, MD; Copyright 2012: Simon & Schuster
The Light Beyond, Raymond A. Moody, MD; Copyright 1989: Bantam
Waking Up in Heaven: A True Story of Brokenness, Heaven and Life Again, Crystal McVea & Alex Tresniowski; Copyright 2013 (reprint): Howard Books
SELF-CARE
Excuses Begone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer; Copyright 2011 (4th ed.): Hay House
Claiming Your Place at the Fire: Living the Second Half of Your Life on Purpose, Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro; Copyright 2004: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin, Copyright 2012: HarperCollins
Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Rest of Your Life, Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro; Copyright 2012: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Something to Live For: Finding Your Way in the Second Half of Your Life, Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro; Copyright 2008: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Whistle While You Work: Heeding Your Life's Calling, Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro; Copyright 2001: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Claiming Your Place at the Fire: Living the Second Half of Your Life on Purpose, Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro; Copyright 2004: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin, Copyright 2012: HarperCollins
Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Rest of Your Life, Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro; Copyright 2012: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Something to Live For: Finding Your Way in the Second Half of Your Life, Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro; Copyright 2008: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Whistle While You Work: Heeding Your Life's Calling, Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro; Copyright 2001: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
BREAST CANCER
Grace for Each Hour: Through the Breast Cancer Journey, Mary Nelson; Copyright 2005: Bethany House Publishers
RECOMMENDED SITES
ON BEING - On Being is a Peabody Award-winning public radio conversation and podcast, a Webby Award-winning website, a publisher and public event convener. On Being opens up the animating questions at the center of human life: What does it mean to be human, and how do we want to live?
Radio Podcast: http://www.onbeing.org/how-to-listen Website: http://www.onbeing.org/
Radio Podcast: http://www.onbeing.org/how-to-listen Website: http://www.onbeing.org/