I’m a reader first, a writer, a book reviewer, an enthusiastic if rebellious book club member. (I tend to read what I want rather than the agreed-upon text—even if the book was my pick.)
Why am I launching The Grief Library? Because I’m also a mourner.
I learned my sister had died one night in January 2017. Cristin was 14 months younger than me; I can’t remember life before her. That January day was a dividing line, separating life with Cristin from life after her. As I prepared for sleep, I acted on instinct. Going to bed with a book in hand has been my near-nightly ritual since I was 4. On that life-changing night, I slept with a favorite book beside me, almost like a child finding comfort in a stuffed animal.
The following day, friends texted to say a gift card awaited me at my local bookstore. They knew I turned to books to understand the world. That was the basis of our friendships. And I would need books to guide me through this loss.
The years that followed carried more than their share of sorrow. My cat died months after my sister. My dad died before the three-year anniversary of Cristin’s death. Then the world entered collective grief in the COVID-19 pandemic.
I’ve turned to literature through it all. Books have helped me find a way into grief and the reshaped existence that follows. Reading helps me see others, feel less alone, find light for the next step.
Now friends come to me for these kinds of reading recommendations. When their best friend’s grandmother or their estranged father dies, I’ll receive a text. If they know someone grieving the loss of a child, I’ll suggest a few titles. Sometimes these friends are working through divorce or another heartbreak. I’ll turn to my library to find books to accompany them.
The Grief Library will help readers find books that will carry them and create space for connection. Each month will begin with a book review and reflection. Look for those on the first Fridays. You can read along and join the discussion in each post’s comments. Mid-month, I’ll share another meditation, whether through an essay, a list or a resource I’ve encountered. Subscribe if you’d like to receive these posts in your email.
You can also find my complete—and growing!—Grief Library and explore by relationship, tone or theme. These books span genres. I’ve read practical guides for moving through sorrow, and I also recommend novels, poetry and memoirs that have pointed me toward meaning and connection.
Whatever has brought you my way, I’m sorry for the pain you’re experiencing. But you aren’t alone. I’m here to remind you of that, and so is every title in The Grief Library.
Carla Jean Whitley is a writer and editor with more than 20 years of experience. But when her sister, Cristin, died in 2017, Carla Jean didn’t find much comfort in writing. She found solace in reading books about others’ experiences with great loss. She’s read dozens of grief-related books since and has become known among her friends for relevant book recommendations. She launched The Grief Library in 2026 to share literary comfort with others.