Next Chapter: Grief (Nonfiction)
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. Annotations from Kirkus Reviews, unless otherwise noted. Created by The Seattle Public Library Older Adults Program Manager and Readers Services librarians. (Created September 2020)
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The Way Through the Woods
When Long Litt Woon loses her husband of 32 years to an unexpected death, she is utterly bereft. An immigrant in his country, in losing the love of her life she has also lost her compass and her passport to society. For a time, she is stuck, aimless, disoriented. It is only when she wanders off deep into the woods with mushroom hunters and is taught there how to see clearly what is all around her, and learn how to make distinctions, take educated risks and hear all the different melodies in Nature's chorus, that she returns to life and to living. And it is mushrooms which guide her back. (NoveList)
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And Then I Got Fired
Feel free to scream directly into this book if you need to. It won't judge you, promise! This book gets grief. The good, the bad and the snotty noses. (book jacket)
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Lost Companions
A touching, sensitive journey that will, like Masson’s previous books, find a wide audience.
Format: eBook
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The Long Goodbye
In this eloquent, somber memoir about the death of her mother and grieving aftermath, poet and journalist O'Rourke (Halflife) ponders the eternal human question: how do we live with the knowledge that we will one day die? (NoveList)
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Grief Works
Though often touching on profoundly sad situations, Samuel’s stories and reflections consistently hit an authentically inspiring note.
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M Train
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee presents reflections on her inner life from the unique perspectives of the cafes and cultural haunts she has visited and worked in around the world. (NoveList)
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Black Widow
A love-filled eulogy to a beloved husband and the special times the couple shared before he died.
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The Art of Leaving
A memoir in essays by the award-winning author of The Best Place on Earth discusses the early loss of the author's father, her mandated military service and her struggles with identity as an Israeli of Yemeni descent. (NoveList)
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Men We Reaped
A modern rejoinder to Black Like Me, Beloved and other stories of struggle and redemption—beautifully written, if sometimes too sad to bear.
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The Art of Losing
Poems about the various stages of grief, with 150 selections from a variety of 20th-21st century poets. (NoveList)
Format: Book
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