Best Guided Grief Journal and Books for Processing Grief
A personal list of guided grief journal and books that helped me through grief after the loss of my husband and supported my healing journey.
Table of Contents
Guided Grief Journal
Three months after giving birth to my twin boys, I lost my husband to cancer. Navigating the weight of grief while stepping into the overwhelming responsibilities of new motherhood was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced. In those early months, I felt lost, unsure how to process my emotions, and often alone in my pain. I couldn’t find anyone who had walked a similar path, and I realized how much easier it would have been to have guidance, support, or even just a space to reflect.
That’s why I created this journal. I wanted to offer a gentle companion for anyone facing a similar loss—a safe place to explore emotions, honor memories, and navigate grief with care and compassion. Through reflective prompts and thoughtful guidance, this journal is meant to support you as you process your feelings, remember your loved one, and discover small moments of resilience along the way. Grief is deeply personal, and there’s no right or wrong way to experience it. You are not alone, and this journal is here to walk alongside you on your journey toward healing.
Option B
Option B is an honest and compassionate book about surviving unimaginable loss and finding a way forward when life doesn’t go as planned. After losing my husband, this book helped me feel less alone in my grief. It put words to emotions I didn’t know how to name and reminded me that healing isn’t about “moving on,” but about learning how to carry love and loss together.
Good Enough
Good Enough by Kate Bowler gently reminds us that we don’t have to be strong, positive, or put together to be worthy of love and grace. During my grief, this book helped me release the pressure to “do grief right” and instead simply show up as I was. It offered comfort on days when faith felt complicated and gave me permission to rest in the truth that I am already enough, even in the middle of loss.
I Hope You Remember
I Hope You Remember by Josie Balka was the first poetry book I ever bought, simply because I love her writing so much. During my grief, these poems met me in a way few books ever have. Some of the poems about love and loss felt so real it took my breath away like someone had taken the feelings in my heart and put them into words. This book reminded me that I wasn’t alone in my longing, my sadness, or my love, and it became a quiet source of comfort on heavy days.
Nora McInery Books
No Happy Endings and The Hot Young Widows Club by Nora McInerny made me feel seen in a way I desperately needed after losing my husband. Nora’s honesty about widowhood, anger, love, and survival helped normalize feelings I thought I was supposed to hide. These books reminded me that grief can be messy, unfair, and still meaningful and that I didn’t have to be positive or “strong” all the time to be okay. They helped me feel less alone in the hardest season of my life.
Need more Grief support?
If you or someone you know needs grief support after losing a loved one you have come to the right place. I lost my husband to cancer and it has been extremely hard. I found that sharing my story was healing for me and helped others as well. Sharing some tips of my grieving process and how you can help others you may know who are grieving.