Grief is a universal emotion which we experience throughout our lives. Here is a list of nonfiction books which explore the myriad ways we respond to grief and, in turn, may provide a path for our own journeys. Created by librarians at The Seattle Public Library. (Created by the Older Adults Program Manager, September 2023)
Welcome to the Grief Club
Janine Kwoh uses brief writings, illustrations, and creative diagrams to explore the wide range of emotions and experiences that grief can encompass. (Publisher description)
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View Welcome to the Grief ClubGrief Is Love
Offering unique insights for women and Black communities, "Grief is Love" is truly the first of its kind to do a deep dive into the intersection of grief, healing, and racism (Pop Sugar)
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View Grief Is LoveThe Way Through the Woods
In this debut memoir, an anthropologist recounts how mycology eased her out of mourning … A wonder-inducing dive into the unique kingdom of fungi. (Kirkus)
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View The Way Through the WoodsAnd Then I Got Fired
A healthy mix of poems, personal testimony, bad jokes and choose-your-own-journey workbook style. An unexpected and lively conversation between the author and reader on grief, Black Trans survival and the arts. (Publisher description)
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View And Then I Got FiredDead Mom Walking
A whip-smart and darkly funny memoir about an unconventional family, the limits of wellness fads, and the mother of all catastrophes. (Publisher description)
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View Dead Mom WalkingWintering
A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. (Publisher description)
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View WinteringHello Grief
In spare but incisive writing and more than 75 full-color drawings, the artist and writer draws insights from her personal loss and her training as an end-of-life doula to explore the process of grief. (Publisher description)
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View Hello GriefUnraveling
Dedicated crafters will particularly enjoy this pandemic-times memoir, but the appeal goes far beyond. The sweater may be ugly, but the journey is beautiful. (Booklist)
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View UnravelingTell Me Good Things
A widower turns grief into a profound appreciation of his wife’s legacy in this poignant elegy…a moving exploration of a great marriage and its ability to nourish the mind and heart. (Publishers Weekly)
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View Tell Me Good ThingsLost & Found
Eighteen months before Kathryn Schulz’s beloved father died, she met the woman she would marry. In "Lost & Found," she weaves the stories of those relationships into a brilliant exploration of how all our lives are shaped by loss and discovery. (NoveList)
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View Lost & Found