Grief Support Resources
Some books may be out of print or have newer, updated editions. If there are helpful resources not listed, please let our staff know. Web pages are provided at the end of the bibliography.
Adult Grief Support Resources
Bartocci, Barbara. Nobody’s Child Anymore. A book about the death of a parent and mourning this loss. Heartfelt stories about the author and others.
Baugher, Robert. A Guide to Understanding Guilt During Bereavement. A short, easy to read book about guilt in mourning. Helpful suggestions.
Bennett, Nina. Forgotten Tears: A Grandmother’s Journey Through Grief. A Grandmother’s grief journey after the stillbirth of her grandchild.
Berg, Leah Vande, & Trujillo, Nick. Cancer and Death: A Love Story in Two Voices. The authors tell the story of her battle with cancer and subsequent death. An honest account about cancer, death, grief and life.
Brener, Anne, Mourning and Mitzvah. In this new and expanded edition of a modern classic, Anne Brener brings us an innovative integration of Jewish tradition and modern professional resources.
Chethik, Neil. Fatherloss: How Sons of All Ages Come to Terms with the Death of their Dads. This book describes the male grieving process and gives advice to help guide sons through the death of their fathers.
Dann, Patty, The Goldfish Went on Vacation “The moment when Patty Dann’s husband was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, she felt as though the ground had dropped out beneath her. Her grief, however, was immediately interrupted by the realization that she would have to tell their three-year-old son, Jake, that his father was dying.”
Didion, Joan, The Year of Magical Thinking This book is a memoir of the authors experience through the death of her husband and her efforts to make sense of a time when nothing made sense.
Divine, Megan. It’s OK That You’re Not OK. Devine also runs the Refuge in Grief website. Her sudden, tragic loss of her life partner led her to help with those who are grieving . . . and maybe also weary of the meaningless platitudes too often shared with those that are hurting after a beloved’s death.
Elerman, Hope. Motherless Daughters. This book reveals how the absence of a nurturing presence shapes a woman’s identity and how to understand the grief journey.
Elison, Jennifer & McGonigle, Chris. Liberating Losses: When Death Brings Relief. A book that expands the traditional definition of grief and explores when death brings relief either by the end to suffering or the end to a conflicted relationship.
Fine, Carla. No Time to Say Goodbye. Author offers advice for those grieving the death of a loved one by suicide. Drawn from the author’s personal experience of the death of her husband and interviews with other survivors.
Ginsburg, Genevieve Davis. Widow to Widow. Practical ideas for rebuilding your life after the death of a spouse. Includes challenges, changes, decision making, and relationships.
Golden, Tom. Swallowed By a Snake. A book that provides the masculine side of grief and offers healing strategies and new ways to understand the grieving process.
Green, Phyllis. It Must Have Been Moonglow: Reflections on the First Years of Widowhood. This author shares her experience of grieving the death of her husband after 56 years of marriage.
Grollman, Earl. Living When A Loved One Has Died. A gentle guide offering information on the many facets of grief and suggestions to help heal and slowly build new lives.
Hickman, Martha. Healing After Loss. A collection of daily meditations.
Johnson, Joy & Johnson, Marv. Grief: What It Is and What You Can Do. This book discusses feelings, issues, other people, rituals and caring for yourself.
Kosminisky, Phyllis. Getting Back to Life When Grief Won’t Heal. A book that guides individuals whose grief is impacted by complicated relationships with the deceased.
Lewis, C.S. A Grief Observed “Written after his wife’s tragic death as a way of surviving the ‘mad midnight moment,’ A Grief Observed is C.S. Lewis’s honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss.”
Marshall, Fiona. Losing A Parent. A comforting guide to coping with grief after the death of a parent. Full of stories and quotes and information on your surviving parent.
Marasco, Ron and Shuff, Brian. About Grief. Both have been involved in film and do use film images. Though upbeat, it’s a serious and readable overview about grief.
Reichert Lambin, Helen. The Death of a Husband: Reflections of a Grieving Wife. Poignant reflections from a wife mourning the death of her husband.
Sister, Gerald. A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows in Loss. This book is written by a man who has experienced profound loss. He shares about grace that can transform in the midst of sorrow.
Wolfelt, Alan. The Journey Through Grief. The author describes the six mourning needs and offers brief poetic passages related to each need. Also has a place for journaling at the end of each chapter.
DeVita-Raeburn, Elizabeth. The Empty Room: Understanding Sibling Loss. The author reflects on her personal experience of sibling illness and loss, while also gathering insights and stories from over 200 sibling survivors.
Ferguson, Gary. The Carry Home. A moving celebration of the outdoor life shared between Ferguson and his wife Jane (who died tragically in a canoeing accident in northern Ontario in 2005) and a chronicle of the mending, uplifting power of nature.
Kinnison, Quentin P., editor. A Road Too Short for the Long Journey: Reflections and Resources to Support Grieving People.
Santloffer, Jonathan. The Widower’s Notebook. Written with unexpected humor and great warmth, this book is a portrait of a marriage, an account of the complexities of finding oneself single again after losing your spouse, and a story of the enduring power of familial love.
Wolfelt, Alan. Healing the Adult Sibling’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Brother or Sister Dies. Wolfelt, the founder of the Center for Loss and Life Transition, provides 100 action-oriented ideas for embracing your grief while honoring the relationship you had with your sibling.
Wray, T.J. Surviving the Death of a Sibling: Living Through Grief When an Adult Brother or Sister Dies. The book offers insights for a general guidance and great coping strategies to those grieving this particular and profound type of loss
Parent Grief Support Resources
Bacon, Armen and Miller, Nancy. Griefland It’s the tragedy no one wants to imagine: the death of a child. Two women meet in the darkest hours of their lives and forge an extraordinary friendship that becomes the catalyst for exploring, enduring, and surviving the treacherous terrain of a place they call Griefland.
Bernstein, PhD., Judith. When the Bough Breaks. With honesty and empathy, this book describes how other bereaved parents have coped with the death of a child.
Heavilin, Marilyn Willett. Roses in December. The author, a bereaved parent, shares her story and ideas to help with grief. She describes the deepest sorrow and also healing.
Johnson, Joy & Johnson, Marv. Children Die Too. A good first book for bereaved parents. Discusses feelings, dealing with guilt and facing sadness. *Also available in Spanish.
Johnson, Joy & Johnson, Marv. This Little While. This is a book of support for parents experiencing the death of a stillborn baby or a very young infant.
Mitchell, Ellen. Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child. Nine mothers share their experience after the death of a child. Offers comfort and direction to bereaved parents and discusses what to expect in the first year and beyond.
Schiff, Harriet. The Bereaved Parent. Offers suggestions and guidance on how to cope with the death of a child, from the funeral to rebuilding your marriage.
Wolfelt, Alan. Healing a Parent’s Grieving Heart. Practical ideas for parents after the death of a child. Includes marital stress, helping surviving siblings and guilt.
Wolterstorff , Nicholas. Lament For a Son. “…the death of a friend or family member is a beginning as much as an end. For the author of this book, who lost his 25-year-old son Eric in a mountain climbing accident, it meant the start of a long, unwanted journey to come to terms with his grief — and the ‘unanswered questions’ of his wounded spirit.”
Bereaved Children Grief Support Resources
Blesy, Marcy, Am I Like My Daddy? A story of a young girl wanting to learn about her dad who died when she was younger.
Brown, Laurie & Brown, Mark. When Dinosaurs Die-A Guide to Understanding Death. This colorful book helps answer questions for children about death.
Clifton, Lucille. Everett Anderson’s Goodbye. Tells the story of a boy coping with the death of his father.
Dougy Center. After a Murder: A Workbook for Grieving Kids. A workbook for children grieving after a death by murder.
Dougy Center. After a Suicide: A Workbook for Grieving Kids. A helpful resource that helps children impacted by suicide to learn from other children who also have experienced a suicide.
Grollman, Earl. A Child’s Book about Burial and Cremation. A workbook for children that discusses traditions and ceremonies related to death.
Grollman, Earl & Johnson, Joy. The Complete Book About Death for Kids. A helpful book that provides information about death and dying and the feelings experienced when someone you love dies.
Hanson, Warren. The Next Place. A comforting book that describes a destination free from earthly hurts and full of wonder and peace.
Heegaard, Marge. When Someone Very Special Dies. An engaging workbook for children that helps them to recognize and express feelings of grief.
Leeuwenburgh, Erika LPC & Goldring, Ellen , Why Did You Die: Activities to Help Cope with Grief & Loss. A variety of practical resources for children.
Levine, Jennifer. Forever in My Heart. This workbook is for children whose loved one is terminally ill. Allows children to process feelings prior to a death.
Mellonie, Bryan & Ingpen, Robert. Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children. This insightful book uses the life cycles of all living things as a way to explain death to children.
Mundy, Michaelene. Sad Isn’t Bad. A comforting book for children that offers a realistic look at death and positive suggestions for coping.
O’Toole, Donna. Aarvy Aardvark Finds Hope. This book uses animals to describe healing after loss.
Schwiebert, Pat. We Were Gonna Have A Baby, But We Had An Angel Instead. A beautiful book describing the reactions of a little boy to the impending birth, and then unexpected death of his sibling.
Schwiebert, Pat & DeKlyen, Chuck. Tear Soup. A wonderful book that tells the story of how a grandma heals in her grief. Appropriate for both children and adults.
Shriver, Maria. What’s Heaven? A comforting book that answers questions about heaven, the spirit and saying goodbye.
Traisman, Enid. Fire in My Heart, Ice in My Veins. This helpful workbook allows teenagers the opportunity to journal their thoughts and feelings after a death.
Wolfelt, Alan. How I Feel: A Coloring Book For Grieving Children. Explores the many feelings that children experience in grief.
Resources Related to Suicide and Survivors of Suicide Loss
Suggested Websites
Websites may not be updated. Each page will be handled differently based on the decisions of the page’s owner and editor.
All of the sites have been used by the staff at the Center for Healing and Grief.
Also . . . as with books, we welcome your suggestions for online resources.
Still Standing
http://stillstandingmag.com/
For those who have experienced the death of a child
Grief Healing
https://www.griefhealingblog.com/
This blog is designed and intended to share any useful, accurate, and reliable information about caregiving, loss, grief, and transition, whether it is found on the Internet or written by the author herself.
Fathers Grieving In Infant Loss
http://fathersgrievinginfantloss.blogspot.com/
A particular focus on fathers.
Modern Loss
http://modernloss.com/
A wide variety of experiences on grief are shared by various writers.
Refuge in Grief
http://www.refugeingrief.com/
This is an excellent site for those wanting to write (or read) about the ways to heal from grief. The site’s founder has published It’s Okay Not to be Okay, a book influenced by her journey since the sudden drowning death of her significant other.
One Fit Widow
http://www.onefitwidow.com/
A site that encourages exercise/activity for grievers.
Dougy Center
www.dougy.org
The Dougy Center, The National Center for Grieving Children & Families is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon that offers support groups and services to grieving children and young adults.
National Alliance for Children’s Grief
https://NACG.org/
The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them.
Widowed Parent
http://www.widowedparent.org
The Widowed Parent project is committed to supporting widowed mothers and fathers with children in the home.
Pregnancy After Loss Support (PALS)
https://pregnancyafterlosssupport.com/still-need-support/
Pregnancy After Loss Support (PALS) is a community support resource for women experiencing the confusing and conflicting emotions of grief mixed with joy during the journey through pregnancy after loss.