Complete guide to books on bereavement: ease the grieving process with our recommendations

The death of a loved one is not easy to digest. Reading can be a great source of support and companionship during the grieving process. Today at Áltima we will give you our recommendations for the best books on bereavement.

How can reading books about bereavement ease the grieving process?

One of the activities recommended by experts to overcome the loss of a loved one is to read books about bereavement and death.

We are able to relate to this kind of book as we are going through something similar and we can see that it is a normal process that everyone goes through in one way or another when someone we love dies.

Knowing that there are other people who are feeling the same way and reading about how and why something is happening to us can be a great help in coping and moving forward in the process.

Book recommendations on bereavement for adults

There are many books on bereavement so making a selection is not easy. However, we have chosen several essential books that can help an adult when facing this difficult time.

La ridícula idea de no volver a verte (The Ridiculous Idea of Never Seeing You Again), by Rosa Montero

This is one of the best books about bereavement written today. In an original way, the author combines the story of Marie Curie with the narration of her own grief over the death of the love of her life.

The book discusses life and death and how to overcome the pain of losing a loved one. It also stresses the importance of enjoying life with the people we love to the fullest while we are alive.

The writing has a certain light-hearted and humorous tone, but the reality is that it is a book that conveys very intimate feelings. It is a very moving and healing book.

Los siguientes by Pedro Simón

This novel reflects on old age and illness through the different perspectives of three brothers who find themselves in the situation of having to care for their father at the end of his life. Feelings such as guilt emerge and the emotions that many families experience when they find themselves in such a situation are conveyed.

This is a book about grief with great sensitivity and tenderness. It is a lesson about life that teaches us that the decline and death of our elders are inevitable, although each person can face them in different ways.

Tomb Song by Julián Herbert

This novel narrates the life of a prostitute through the eyes of her son when she is suffering from leukaemia and is about to die. It is a novel about grief and farewell that explores, among other themes, the narrator's relationship with his mother throughout his life.

The author reflects on the grieving process when a mother dies and, more specifically, when there is a geographical distance that means that it is not possible to be with her in her final moments.

Recommendations for children's books on bereavement

When a loved one dies, we sometimes forget that the youngest members of the family also experience feelings that are difficult for them to explain or express. For this reason, there are also children's books about bereavement that can be very useful in helping them to understand the death of someone they love.

The Memory Tree by Britta Teckentrup

In this illustrated story, a group of animals gather around a magical tree to share memories of their loved ones. It teaches young children that remembering those who are gone is a way of keeping their memories alive.

It offers them comfort and support in the grieving process and the book explains this situation to them in a very entertaining way.

Un pellizco en la barriga (A pinch in the belly) by Alma Serra

This story, also illustrated, tells the story of Mar, a little girl who has lost someone very special in her life. It is like a guide that suggests exercises that make the little ones feel they can identify with their sadness and understand why they feel this way.

It is an original way of exploring the grieving process so that children can understand it and can relate to their own situation.

La gota de Agua (The Drop of Water) by Inés Castel Branco

Through a metaphor, this story tells the story of a drop of water that falls into the sea, causing it to lose its shape but not its essence.

It explains the concept of death to young children in a natural and easily understandable way.

Discover the best authors who write about bereavement

Throughout history there have been many authors who have written books about grief. Sigmund Freud, Erich Lindemann and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross are some of the most influential. We can also highlight:

• Roland Barthes who reflected on his experience after the death of his mother in Mourning Diary.

• J. William Worden who provides tools for dealing with the loss of a loved one in Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy.

• Robert A. Neimeyer‘s Lessons of Loss offers a different perspective on grief, both for the bereaved and for professionals dealing with bereaved patients.

The list of books on bereavement is endless as many philosophers, psychologists and writers have explored the subject in their works.