Grief & Loss

Hone shows us how to harness the (thankfully common) power of our own resilience to work our way through a horrible loss. The New York Times A recommended new book for those who are grieving... [Hone's] metaphor for life after loss is both powerful and apt: Think of it as a scattered jigsaw puzzle, where the pieces of one's former...

'Dr Lucy's unpacking of the grief that comes with living losses was a lightbulb moment for me.' Ellidy Pullin 'The best work I know on positive psychology and grief is Lucy Hone's.' Martin Seligman 'Lucy's insights are practical, wise, and deeply human - they stay with you long after you read them.' Chelsea Pottenger From bestselling author and TED speaker...

The incredible first memoir from the Booker-winning radical icon Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things. Arundhati Roy's first work of memoir, this is a soaring account, both intimate and inspiring, of how the author became the person and the writer she is, shaped by circumstance, but above all by her relationship to her extraordinary, singular mother Mary,...

Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2025 ‘The best book I have read this year’ – David Nicholls ‘Beautiful’ – Douglas Stuart ‘Extraordinary’ – Sarah Moss ‘A formidable testament to a mother’s love’ – Sara Collins ‘There is no good way to say this,’ Yiyun Li writes at the beginning of this book. ‘There is no good way...

‘This book really, really will stay with me forever. It’s not only laced with the most incredible wisdom, but it’s also gentle and beautiful and eloquent. It brought me so much joy and so much comfort’ - FEARNE COTTON ‘Life-changing. This book is sensational. If you’re struggling, feeling a little lost, anxious or in need of a mental lift, please...

Introducing the Collins Modern Classics, a series featuring some of the most significant books of recent times, books that shed light on the human experience – classics which will endure for generations to come. A single person is missing for you, and the whole world is empty. John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion saw their daughter fall ill. At first,...

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis is an enthralling allegorical tale that explores the contrasting realms of Heaven and Hell, and the impassable gulf that lies between them. In this brilliantly imaginative narrative, Lewis embarks on a moral and philosophical journey that challenges conventional beliefs and offers a profound meditation on the nature of good and evil. The story begins...

In Being Mortal, renowned surgeon and writer Atul Gawande addresses one of the most compelling issues of our age: the human experience of mortality and the limitations of medicine in the context of aging and death. Through poignant storytelling and insightful analysis, Gawande explores how modern medicine has reshaped our approach to life's end and how this often contrasts with...

The incredible first memoir from the Booker-winning radical icon Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things. 'Heart-smashed' by the death of the mother she ran from at age eighteen and shaken by the intensity of her response, Arundhati Roy began this remarkable memoir—a soaring account, both intimate and inspiring, of how the author became the person and the...

Ghost Stories is Siri Hustvedt's tender memoir of the forty-three years she spent with her husband, writer, poet and filmmaker Paul Auster: from their first encounter in 1980s New York, to his death in 2024.   Featuring Paul Auster's last ever piece of writing.   'A deeply moving memoir, raw with loss, yet luminous with love' SARAH WATERS     'What a...

With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix is a profound exploration of the inevitable yet often feared aspect of life: death. Mannix, drawing on her extensive experience as a palliative care doctor, shares deeply moving and humane stories that illuminate the process of dying. Through these narratives, she demystifies the experiences of patients facing terminal diagnoses and provides readers...

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion is a profoundly moving and unflinchingly honest memoir that delves deep into the heart of grief and mourning. This poignant narrative recounts Didion's life-altering year following the sudden death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and the severe illness of their only daughter, Quintana Roo. In the days leading up to Christmas...

'Mind blowingly brilliant' - PHILIPPA PERRY 'Few other writers have such passion for granular detail, intellectual heft and boundless curiosity' - THE TIMES 'As suspenseful and pacy as an episode of peak-era ER' - GUARDIAN A near-fatal health emergency leads to this powerful reflection on death—and what might follow—by the bestselling author of Tribe and The Perfect Storm. For years...

Dr Richard Shepherd is one of Britain’s foremost forensic pathologists, with a storied career that has seen him delve into the mysteries of sudden and unexplained deaths. In Unnatural Causes, Shepherd takes readers behind the scenes of his life and work, offering an unfiltered look into the world of forensic pathology. From high-profile cases that have made headlines to the...

'I'm not going to tell you that everything happens for a reason. Those words are cold comfort in any traumatic moment. This is what I will say, though: I see you. I hear you. I am with you.' Growing up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Chloe Chapman thought her life would unfold close to home, surrounded by childhood friends...

A potentially life-changing book for anyone wanting to experience grief and death in a more meaningful way. Grounded in the author's experiences with hundreds of dying people and their families, the book advocates a bold engagement with a part of the human experience that is often more endured than lived. In its own unique way, Die Wise is more about...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A special 25th anniversary edition of the beloved book that has changed millions of lives with the story of an unforgettable friendship, the timeless wisdom of older generations, and healing lessons on loss and grief—featuring a new afterword by the author. “A wonderful book, a story of the heart told by a writer with...

The invigorating true story of a man and his dog who circled the globe on foot. After the death of a close friend at seventeen, Tom Turcich resolved to make the most out of life; to travel and be forced into adventure; to experience and understand the world. On April 2nd, 2015, he set out to see it all, one...

The basis for the wonderfully funny and moving TV series developed by Amy Poehler and Scout Productions. A charming approach to putting your life in order so your loved ones won't have to. There's a word for it in Swedish—dostadning, literally, 'death cleaning'. Swedish-born Margareta Magnusson is, in her words, 'aged between 80 and 100'. When her husband died, she...

At twenty-six, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's rapid death from cancer, her family disbanded and her marriage crumbled. With nothing to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to walk eleven-hundred miles of the west coast of America—from the Mojave Desert, through California and Oregon, and into Washington state—and...

The world's foremost expert on grief and co-author with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross of the iconic On Grief and Grieving explores the search for meaning in the face of life-altering grief and offers a vital guide to healing. 'A brilliant, caring, practical guide to help us understand grief' - Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. 'Finding Meaning is Kessler's poignant response to society's insensitivity,...

With her breakout book It's OK That You're Not OK, Megan Devine struck a chord with thousands of readers through her honest, validating approach to grief. In her same direct, no-platitudes style, she now offers How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed-a journal filled with unique, creative ways to open a dialogue with grief itself. "Being allowed to tell the...

Death is a certainty, but what happens in the lead-up—and in its aftermath—is anything but predictable. Nobody knows this better than those who work with death every day. There's no time for an existential crisis when your 9-to-5 involves responding to fatal plane accidents, transporting organs for urgent surgery, or fending off a dying man's request for Nickelback. In this...

Option B is a #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon—a powerful, inspiring, and practical guide to finding resilience and moving forward after life's inevitable setbacks. In 2015, Sheryl Sandberg's husband, Dave Goldberg, died suddenly at the age of forty-eight. Sandberg and her two young children were devastated, and she was certain that their lives would never have real...

From one of our most powerful writers, a classic work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter. Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and daughter, Quintana Roo, this new book by Joan Didion examines her thoughts, fears, and doubts regarding having children, illness, and growing old. Blue Nights opens...

To save the world, we have to start somewhere. One afternoon many years ago, James Rebanks met an old woman on a remote Norwegian island. She lived and worked alone on a tiny rocky outcrop, caring for wild ducks and gathering their down. Hers was a centuries-old trade that had once made men and women rich, but had long been...

I stumble across a photo of me, aged ten. My immediate thought is: 'Who is that girl?' I remember her but I don't recognise myself in her. She was so determined. Once she knew what she wanted, she'd just head straight for it. From a childhood in rural Piopio, Jenny-May Coffin grew up to achieve international success as a Silver...

On July 1, 1975, Kelsey Grammer's younger sister, 18-year-old Karen Grammer, was raped and murdered—now, for the first time, Kelsey discusses how it has affected him and the hope and healing he has found in the decades since. Karen by Kelsey Grammer delves into the deeply personal and tragic story of the author's sister, Karen, who was brutally murdered at...

Imagine being on your deathbed, consumed by secrets you've long harboured, or carrying unfulfilled wishes that weigh heavily on your mind. In these moments, what if there were someone willing to honour your final requests, someone who speaks for the dead, irrespective of society's rules? Enter Bill Edgar, the Coffin Confessor, a man whose unique and unconventional profession reveals a...

A TikTok sensation! Kristan Higgins has created a gorgeous study of life, love and grief in this beautiful and heart-breaking love story. Joshua Park never expected to be a widower at the age of thirty. Given his solitary job, small circle of friends and family, and the social awkwardness he's always suffered from, he has no idea how to negotiate...

A Grief Observed (Readers' Edition) by C.S. Lewis is a profound and deeply personal reflection on loss and grief. The book centres around Lewis's heart-wrenching experience following the death of his beloved wife, Joy Davidman, after only four years of marriage. Through poignant and raw journal entries, Lewis chronicles his journey through suffering and sorrow, wrestling with his faith and...

Listen by Kathryn Mannix is described as 'Powerful, humane and wise' by Julia Samuel, with Nigella Lawson stating 'Everyone should read it'. Philippa Perry calls it 'Beautiful … This is a book for everyone. You feel held by it'. Most of us have a conversation we’re avoiding. From the bestselling author of With the End in Mind, this is a...

A poetic and practical guide to grieving, healing and rebuilding your life after loss, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of How to Stop Breaking Your Own Heart. A gentle guide to carrying your grief, reclaiming yourself and welcoming life back in. 'Meggan has an extraordinary ability to turn pain into purpose.' - Vex King When you're grieving the death...

Words of comfort to bring solace to the darkest days of grief, from the no.1 Sunday Times bestseller of To the Women and Wild Hope. 'Donna's words speak to my heart' Davina McCall 'Powerful and comforting' Dawn French 'Comfort for the soul' Tamzin Outhwaite Losing someone casts us adrift in a lonely sea of grief, one that can be hard...

You Only Die Once is a spirited and funny yet profound and highly practical manual for anyone who yearns to show up more fully and wholeheartedly for their all-too-finite time on the planet. Oliver Burkeman, New York Times bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals How many Mondays do you have left? Does that question send you...

The story of a mother grieving the sudden loss of her twenty-one-year-old child - from the award-winning and bestselling memoirist of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight. It's midsummer in Wyoming and Alexandra Fuller is barely hanging on. Grieving her father and pining for her home country of Zimbabwe, reeling from a midlife breakup, freshly sober and piecing her...

A powerful and moving exploration of the terrible illness that touches millions of lives. After her own father's death from dementia, the writer and campaigner Nicci Gerrard set out to explore the illness that now touches millions of us, yet which we still struggle to speak about. What is it to be oneself, and what is it to lose one's...

An extraordinary, previously unpublished work from the author of The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights, Joan Didion. In November 1999, Joan Didion began seeing a psychiatrist because, as she wrote to a friend, her family had had 'a rough few years.' She described the sessions in a journal she created for her husband, John Gregory Dunne. For several...

A story of friendship, history and redemption on a remote Norwegian island. We are all in need of lights to follow. One afternoon many years ago, James Rebanks met an old woman on a remote Norwegian island. She lived and worked alone on a tiny rocky outcrop, caring for wild Eider ducks and gathering their down. Hers was a centuries-old...

How to Live When a Loved One Dies by Thich Nhat Hanh is an essential guide for anyone navigating the tumultuous waters of grief and loss. This deeply comforting book offers a series of healing meditations designed to help you process and reconcile the intense emotions that arise in the wake of a loved one's death. Within its pages, Thich...

Crying in H Mart 'fking destroyed me,' - Olivia Rodrigo 'Michelle Zauner explores what it means to cook your feelings... she uses the lens of food and cooking to explore her Korean identity after she loses her mother to cancer.' - Jungkook of BTS From the indie rockstar Japanese Breakfast, this is an unflinching, powerful, deeply moving memoir about growing...

The disturbing true story of the notorious Cecil Hotel in downtown LA, by its general manager for a decade and star of the controversial Netflix documentary series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. When Amy Price took a temporary design job at an Art Deco hotel in Los Angeles to help a friend, she had no idea the...

NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK • An anniversary edition of the bestselling collection of "Dear Sugar" advice columns written by the author of #1 bestseller Wild—featuring a new preface and six additional columns. For more than a decade, thousands of people have sought advice from Dear Sugar—the pseudonym of bestselling...

A memoir of devastating honesty, warmth, and unexpected grace about raising children while learning how to live with what love leaves behind. On a family holiday meant to create lasting memories, everything changes in an instant. When a sudden medical crisis strikes in New York, Paul Folino-Gallo finds himself in a hospital room facing the unimaginable. His sons Giorgio, eight,...

Between ancient prophecies and breaking headlines, the end times can feel like a giant puzzle with missing pieces. In this book, the hosts of the Faith & Friction podcast dig into Scripture with curiosity, humour, and a healthy dose of real talk, unpacking what's unfolding now and what could be coming next. When the Faith and Friction crew were invited...

How many times have you said 'I'm fine' when you're anything but? Modern men are under pressure to be strong, silent and always in control. But what happens when this isn't true? Drawing on over twenty-five years of clinical experience, Dr Peter Meades confronts the silent crisis of men's mental health with unflinching honesty and deep compassion, bringing together real-life...

A beautiful and immensely powerful book about love, grief and finding a way to be in a forever altered world Julia Samuel On September 24, 2021, Rachel Eliza Griffiths married her husband, the novelist Salman Rushdie. On the same day, hundreds of miles away, Griffiths' closest friend and chosen sister, the poet Kamilah Aisha Moon, who was expected to speak...

Loved Ruth Hogan's The Keeper of Lost Things? Keep on reading... 'Warm and wise' – Guardian 'A book to really love ... makes reading a joy' – Stylist 'Will soften even the hardest of hearts' – Red 'Subtle and poignant' – Good Housekeeping 'Plenty of spirit and heart' – Daily Mail 'An adorable heartfelt story.' – Prima Masha's life has...

In her first non-fiction book in a decade, the no. 1 bestselling writer who taught millions of readers to live authentically (Eat Pray Love) and creatively (Big Magic) shows how to break free. In 2000, Elizabeth Gilbert met Rayya. They became friends, then best friends, then inseparable. When tragedy entered their lives, the truth was finally laid bare: the two...

The bestselling grieving book—now updated! The most helpful grief book to read when you're ready to start healing after the loss of a loved one. The grief book that just gets it. Whether you're grieving the sudden loss of a loved one or helping someone else through their grief, I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye offers a comforting hand to...

A searing memoir about the impact of addiction on a family. For years Sigrid Rausing watched helplessly as her brother Hans and his wife Eva succumbed to drug addiction. It afflicted a terrible toll on their family, culminating in Eva's tragic early death. As this death led to an inquest and media circus, the world looked on in horror, but...

On Suicide (1897) by Emile Durkheim is a groundbreaking book in the field of sociology. Traditionally, suicide was thought to be a matter of purely individual despair, but Durkheim recognised that the phenomenon had a social dimension. He believed that if anything can explain how individuals relate to society, then it is suicide. Why does it happen? What goes wrong?...

A literary memoir of what it means to have a truly special dog in your life. Published for International Dog Day, this will be a perfect gift for all dog lovers. Why do dogs speak so profoundly to our inner lives? When Mark Doty decides to adopt a dog as a companion for his dying partner, he finds himself bringing...

For those who have suffered the loss of a child, When a Child Dies offers comfort, hope, and a way forward. A caring and compassionate grief book for bereaved parents who have lost a child. Being suddenly thrust into the world of parental grief is like being transported to a foreign land where you don't speak the language. With that...

English Pastoral offers a poetic, practical, raw, and almost miraculously detailed picture of an ancient way of life struggling to survive and to be reborn - New Statesman As a boy, James Rebanks's grandfather taught him to work the land the old way. Their family farm in the Lake District hills was part of an ancient landscape—a patchwork of crops...

A GUARDIAN, ECONOMIST AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A superb book' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'An empowering story of human ingenuity' Economist 'Full of curious facts' The Times Causes of death have changed irrevocably across time. In the course of a few centuries, we have gone from a world where disease or violence was likely to strike anyone at any...

WINNER OF THE 2023 JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 'Unparalleled.' THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 'A true masterpiece.' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'A tour de force.' GUY SHRUBSOLE 'Quietly courageous.' PATRICK BARKHAM 'Lyrical, wholehearted and wise.' LEE SCHOFIELD 'A knockout. I loved it.' MELISSA HARRISON 'Honest, raw and moving.' SOPHIE PAVELLE 'An extraordinary book by an extraordinary author.' CHRIS JONES 'A...

A dazzling follow-up to Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal. 'We would love to discover that each species has a biological clock in its cells, because, if that clock existed and if we were able to find it, perhaps we could stop it and thus become eternal,' Arsuaga tells Millás in this book, in which science is...

The Worm at the Core by Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon, and Tom Pyszczynski is a compelling exploration of the hidden motives that shape human behaviour. This profound book delves into the essential, yet often unacknowledged, influence of death anxiety. The authors argue that the fear of death is a primary motivating force behind a wide range of human activities, from...

A warm, moving and practical guide to grief from one of the UK's leading bereavement counsellors. Death is the last taboo in our society, and grief is still profoundly misunderstood. So many of us feel awkward and uncertain around death, and shy away from talking honestly with family and friends. Grief Works is a compassionate guide that will inform and...

From beloved content creator Taryn Delanie Smith comes a luminous and comforting vision of the afterlife—told through her beloved character, Denise, Heaven’s sharp-witted and bighearted receptionist. For millions of followers, Denise, heaven’s receptionist, as imagined by Taryn Delanie Smith, has become a guide to the great beyond: welcoming new arrivals at Heaven’s front desk, answering their most pressing questions, and...

A gentle guide for end of life care aimed at families and caregivers. Caring for the Dying describes a whole new way to approach death and dying. It explores how the dying and their families can bring deep meaning and great comfort to the care given at the end of a life. Created by Henry Fersko-Weiss, the end-of-life doula model...

Drawing On Grief is a uniquely creative journal and mindful keepsake which draws on the soothing therapeutic power of drawing and creativity to help people navigate the pain of bereavement. In this moving book of self-help through art therapy, author Kate Sutton draws on her own experiences of losing a loved one to help others on this difficult journey, presenting...

A Tomb With a View – The Stories & Glories of Graveyards by Peter Ross is a compelling journey through some of the world’s most fascinating graveyards. Far from being just places of death, Ross reveals them as vital and enduring repositories of stories, history, art, and even humour. He takes readers from the haunting beauty of Flanders Fields, echoing...

Exceptionally good... A frighteningly plausible nightmare Observer, Thrillers of the month Extraordinary: a unique blend of thriller, post-Covid dystopia and paean to the healing properties of nature Guardian Peter Heller's thrillers unfurl like campfire yarns New York Times An ever so subtly dystopian wilderness noir that speculates on the horrors of a post-pandemic society USA Today Kingfisher Lodge: a boutique...

Once upon a time, I was meandering down the road of life with my husband, Jon. It was a regular and beige life, and it worked. It was a warm beige. We felt, and were, blessed and lucky. Normal. On the morning of October 7th, 2023, Rachel Goldberg-Polin's beloved twenty-three-year-old son, Hersh, was stolen from a music festival billed as...

The classic guide for dealing with grief and loss. Daily reflections to find solace in our own lives, and comfort in the connection of sharing these meditations with countless others. After the focus on planning and the outpouring of love from family and friends in the immediate aftermath following the loss of a loved one, we are left to enter...

To find solace from grief, we have always turned to the written word. With poetry and prose spanning continents, religions and cultures, this moving anthology examines loss, celebrates lives well lived and offers words of consolation. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning clothbound pocket-sized classics with gilt edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect...

Winner of the Nero Book Award for Non-Fiction, an unflinching and profoundly moving account of caring until death, from the Sunday Times bestselling author. WINNER OF THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTION 2025 LONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2026 'Please read this book. It may very well change how you live' - Rachel Clarke 'Filled with love...I was spellbound'...

An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...

A comforting and informative guide that demystifies our end-of-life journey, from TikTok sensation and compassionate expert @hospicenursejulie. What if we didn't consider death the worst possible outcome? What if we discussed it honestly, embraced end-of-life care, and prepared for the end of our lives with hope and acceptance? In this empathetic and knowledgeable guide, TikTok star Julie McFadden—known online as...

Mary Anne Schwalbe is waiting for her chemotherapy treatments when Will casually asks her what she's reading. The conversation they have grows into a tradition: soon they are reading the same books so they can have something to talk about in the hospital waiting room. Their choices range from classic (Howard's End) to popular (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo),...

A compassionate guide to navigating the complex, emotional and challenging world of care When someone you love becomes seriously ill, disabled, or starts to decline with age, knowing what to do can feel overwhelming. Next of Kin is a heartfelt and practical guide to navigating the complicated world of care. Written by journalist and health communicator Casey Beros, this book...

In Somebody is Walking on Your Grave, Mariana Enriquez blends journalistic rigour and her fascination with the macabre as we encounter famous graveyards steeped in history, such as Montparnasse in Paris, Highgate in London, and the Jewish cemetery in Prague, as well as more remote, decrepit, hidden, or secretly beautiful ones. These pages are full of the graves of famous...

I’ve worked as a doctor for over twenty years, caring for patients who are in the thick fog between life and death. I’ve met hundreds of people who have died, were resuscitated and lived. I’ve long thought that these are the people that we should be listening to, not influencers or business gurus. They know what really matters. Dr Matt...

USA TODAY BESTSELLER An intimate and uplifting story of one family’s journey from tragedy to triumph, inspiring readers to transform life’s obstacles into opportunities for growth and change. "Nicole Avant gives a raw and courageous look into how she found the light in her darkest moment. She reminds us that grief is different for everyone, and we have the power...

Unforgettable . . . a hilarious, poignant and impassioned plea to revolutionise our attitudes to death Gavin Francis, Guardian From her first day at Westwind Cremation & Burial, twenty-three-year-old Caitlin Doughty threw herself into her curious new profession. Coming face-to-face with the very thing we go to great lengths to avoid thinking about, she started to wonder about the lives...

The story of a mother grieving the sudden loss of her twenty-one-year-old child, from the award-winning and bestselling memoirist of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight. Fi is the profound journey of Alexandra Fuller as she navigates the devastating loss of her son. This memoir is praised by many: ‘Truly extraordinary’ - HELEN MACDONALD ‘A profound and gripping memoir...

From the bestselling author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, here is a charming and humorous book about embracing life at any age. In her first book, Margareta Magnusson shared with the world the practical Swedish tradition of döstädning, or 'death cleaning' — clearing out unnecessary belongings so others don't have to do it for you. Now, unburdened...

John Niven's little brother Gary was fearless, popular, stubborn, handsome, hilarious, and sometimes terrifying. In 2010, after years of chaotic struggle against the world, he took his own life at the age of 42. Hoping for the best while often witnessing the worst, John, his younger sister Linda, and their mother, Jeanette, saw the darkest fears they had for Gary...