Inspiring books that highlight how loss can lead to transformation. Discover practical guidance to help you navigate your journey and embrace growth after loss.
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
In Option B, Sheryl Sandberg shares her journey of grief after the sudden death of her husband, Dave Goldberg. Facing the reality of raising her two children alone, she explores how to navigate loss and adversity with psychologist Adam Grant.
Through powerful stories of resilience, they reveal that post-traumatic growth is possible, encouraging readers to embrace challenges and cultivate strength, community, and joy amidst sorrow. Option B offers a heartfelt guide to resilience and transformation in life’s toughest moments.
Featured Amazon review…
★★★★★ Read this book
Having recently also been through the loss of a close family member, so much of what Sheryl and Adam share, completely resonates, but their true triumph is in the delicate interweaving of research outlining the way through grief and back to joy.
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone
In Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, therapist Lori Gottlieb finds herself lost after a personal crisis, seeking guidance from the unconventional therapist Wendell. As she navigates her own struggles alongside her patients—a Hollywood producer, a terminally ill newlywed, a despondent senior, and a reckless young adult—Gottlieb discovers that their challenges mirror her own.
This candid, insightful memoir blends humour and vulnerability, offering an intimate look into the therapy process and the transformative power of connection and self-discovery.
Featured Amazon review…
★★★★★ Warm, witty, engaging and moving
I loved it. It is an incredibly honest portrayal of the experience of therapy from both sides of the couch. This book gives a great insight into the therapeutic process so if you are interested in therapy or in being a therapist, or just in the experience of being a human, read it.
Tiny Beautiful Things
Tiny Beautiful Things is a heartfelt collection of advice from Cheryl Strayed, best known for her memoir Wild. Drawing from her beloved Dear Sugar column, this book distils over a decade’s worth of wisdom into a single volume, offering readers solace and clarity through life’s toughest challenges.
Infused with humour, empathy, and raw honesty, Strayed’s insights touch on everything from love and loss to resilience and self-acceptance. This edition includes six new columns and a fresh preface, making it an essential read for anyone seeking guidance and inspiration on their journey through life’s ups and downs.
Featured Amazon review…
★★★★★ Read this book!
It’s a book to savour, to ponder, to ruminate on. Sugar’s ability to understand, empathise and shine a light in the darkest of circumstances is astonishing.
The Art of Not Falling Apart
The Art of Life’s Curveballs follows journalist Christina Patterson as she confronts an unexpected redundancy, leading her to redefine her approach to life’s challenges. Frustrated with conventional self-help advice, she embarks on a journey to interview individuals who have bravely navigated their own setbacks.
The result is a heartfelt exploration of resilience and adventure, celebrating the beauty of letting go of expectations, embracing uncertainty, and savouring the unpredictable nature of life. With humour and honesty, Patterson inspires readers to raise a glass to their own journeys and find joy in the unexpected twists and turns.
Featured Amazon review…
★★★★★ Glorious rage and an intense appreciation of life
The tragic parts are balanced by a full-blooded and rigorous love of life: Poetry, Kettle Chips, the profound pleasure of friendship and, of course, writing, writing, writing. And you’re left with a real sense of an amazing person and a life lived with glorious rage and intense appreciation. It’s a book you really don’t want to finish.
Braving The Wilderness
In Braving the Wilderness, Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW, explores the concept of true belonging in a divided world, emphasizing that it requires us to embrace our authentic selves rather than conforming to societal expectations.
Through a blend of research and personal stories, she outlines four essential practices that foster belonging within ourselves. Brown argues that true belonging is a daily commitment rooted in integrity and authenticity, guiding us through the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism to reclaim our identities and cultivate meaningful connections.
Featured Amazon review…
★★★★★ Being brave, acknowledging the scare you may feel but going ahead anyway expands your life.
Such a magnificent book – if you’re looking for a way to live a braver life. I love Brene Brown’s work, there’s almost now woo woo here, everything she says is evidence based. Running away from pain and discomfort, vulnerability and shame just narrows your life, whereas being brave, acknowledging the scare you may feel but going ahead anyway expands it and you grow and develop in the process. This book will tell you how to do it…
Explore more of our book suggestions over on our Books for Grief Hub.