There are many books that have been published on the subject of suicide bereavement and those listed below are just a small selection. Some time ago, Suicide Bereavement Support partnered with Cumbria Libraries to develop a collection of relevant books, so do visit your local library if you would like to see the selection.  These books are all available on Amazon and some are available on loan from our facilitators - just get in touch if you’d like to borrow a copy.

We are always keen to keep our resources updated, so please contact us if you have found a book that’s not listed here particularly useful and we will endeavour to add it to these lists.

Please note that feedback on any of these books is also welcome - that could be a review to share with others on our Blog or simple advice on a book’s relevance for a particular readership. Simply email us via hello@sbs.org.uk with your comments.

From our Patron

“In a unique and remarkable mix of prose and poetry, and written partly as a series of unsent letters to both her mother and father, Sleeping Letters is a way of connecting to past family, an attempt to reconcile with loss, as well as a radical exploration of Marie-Elsa’s own faith. While harrowing and unforgettable, it is also an immensely beautiful book, with a luminous sense of a daughter’s love.”

Self-help and poetry

The Bereaved Parent - Harriet Sarnoff

After Suicide - John H. Hewett

Through Grief: Bereavement Journey - Elizabeth Collick

Overcoming Grief - Sue Morris

One Step at a Time: Mourning a Child - Betty Madill

My Son… My Son: A Guide to Healing After a Suicide in the Family - Iris Bolton

Early Days of Grieving - Derek Nuttall

Coping with Suicide (Overcoming Common Problems) - Maggie Helen

Be Gentle with Me, I’m Grieving - Robin Chodak

Losing a Child - Elaine Storkey

After Suicide: A Ray of Hope for Those Left Behind - Eleanore Betsy Ross

Dying to be Free: A Healing Guide to Those Left Behind - Beverly Cobain and Jean Larch

It’s OK that you’re not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Cuture that doesn’t Understand - Megan Devine

The Book of Love and Loss: Poems for today - edited by RV Bailey and June Hall. An eclectic selection covering all kinds of death.

Resources for Children, Young People and their Carers

Do they have Bad Days in Heaven?: Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling - Michelle Linn-Gust

Rocky Roads: The Journeys of Families through Suicide Grief - Michelle Linn-Gust

Beyond the Rough Rock: Supporting a Child who has been Bereaved through Suicide - Di Stubbs and Julie Stokes

Straight Talk about Death for Teenagers: How to cope with losing someone you love - Earl A. Grollman. One of the few titles available that is relevant to older teenagers.

Helping Children Cope with Grief - Rosemary Wells

When Parents Die - Rebecca Abrams

Talking about Death: A Dialogue between Parents and Child - Earl A. Grollman

Children and Grief: When a Parent Dies - William Wordon

Facing Grief: Bereavement and the Young Adult - Susan Wallbank

Luna’s Red Hat: An Illustrated Storybook to Help Children Cope with Loss and Suicide - Emmi Smid

Remembering Mum - Ginny Perkins

Missing Mummy - Rebecca Cobb

Memoirs and Shared Stories

The Scent of Dried Roses: One Family and End of English Suberbia - an Elegy - Tim Lott

What Not to Say to People who are Grieving - Pamela Sue Pearson and Andrew Allen Smith

Malignant Sadness - Lewis Wolpert

Ginger’s Gift: Hope and Healing through Dog Companionship - Michelle Linn-Gost

You Can’t Catch Death: A Daughter’s Memoir - Ianthe Brautigan

More Than Words: Bereaved by Suicide - Maria Worton

Chasing Death: Losing a Child to Suicide - Jan Anderson

Still With Us: Voices of Sibling Suicide Loss Survivors - Lena M.Q. Heilmann

Take My Hand - Kerry Fisher and Pat Sowa

An Empty Chair: Living in the Wake of a Sibling’s Suicide - Sara Swan Miller

Lions, Liars, Donkeys and Penguins: The Killing of Alison - Tom Bell

Seeking Hope: Stories of the Suicide Bereaved - Michelle Linn-Gust

Weathering the Storm - Susan Ring

A Grief Observed - C.S.Lewis

Sad Book - Michael Rosen. Very poignant story of the children’s author’s loss of his son, Eddie to meningitis, and his feelings

Reflections on Lives Lost: A Journey Through Suicide - Grace Purcell

Chase the Rainbow: One man’s journey with mental health told by the woman who loved him - Poorna Bell

Studies and Research

Please note that these books were not explicitly written for those who have lost loved ones through suicide, and may contain material that some find distressing.

Bereavement: Studies of Grief in Adult Life - Colin Parkes

Understanding Suicide Behaviour - Rory O’Connor and Noel Sheehy

Suicide - The Ultimate Rejection? - Colin Pritchard

Am I Allowed to Cry? Study of Bereavement Amongst People Who Have Learning Difficulties - Maureen Oswin

The Savage God: A Study of Suicide - Al Alvarez

A Special Scar: The experiences of people bereaved by suicide - Alison Wertheimer

Supporting those Bereaved by Suicide

An Intimate Loneliness: Supporting Bereaved Parents and Siblings (Facing Death) - Gordon Riches

A Winding Road: A Handbook for Those Supporting the Suicide Bereaved - Michelle Linn-Gust and John Peters