Nonfiction Books on Grief

When Sloane Crosley’s best friend dies by suicide, she finds herself adrift, lost and confused. Like many of Russell’s friends and family, Crosley had no idea that Russell was experiencing a mental health crisis. Over the course of Grief Is for People, Crosley goes over her relationship with Russell again and again, combing through old memories and looking for any signs of suicidal ideation or instability. But time and time again, all of Crosley’s memories of her friend seem normal, mundane even. She organizes the book by the stages of grief, slowly revealing her friendship with Russell piece by piece. Crosley met Russell when he hired her to work at Vintage, Knopf’s paperback imprint. I loved all of the gossipy, insider info that Crosley teases us with, giving us a respite from the much heavier, larger topic.

I love when poets write prose, and Saeed Jones is no exception. He writes so beautifully, with every sentence, every word, carefully chosen. His memoir follows his life growing up as a gay Black boy in the South, trying to find a place for himself when everyone around him kept telling him everything about him was wrong. He was too Black, too gay, too loud —always too much for the people around him, especially some of his family members. Jones has such a beautiful way of writing about his complex relationships with his mom and his grandmother, two women he loved dearly. It’s so difficult to love your family while also understanding that they don’t love ALL of you, just the parts they like. I can’t do this memoir justice, but let me tell you, if you’re a memoir lover, this one needs to be at the top of your list.