I’m looking for recommendations (preferably non-fiction but will also read fiction) about adult children dealing with the death of their parent(s) or siblings with whom they’ve had complicated relationships.
I’ve recently become very afraid of my parents dying- they aren’t sick but ofc it will happen one day and I’m trying to find something to make myself more at peace with the situation. I have a bit of a complicated relationship with both of my parents so the standard advice like “spend time with them, always tell them you love them, etc” doesn’t sit right and isn’t helpful. Would love to find something by someone in my shoes.
by FlowerPowerr24
3 Comments
Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth features the death of the main character’s estranged father. >!Who is a piece of shit.!<
I have a couple recommendations, each might hit a different facet of what you’re dealing with. I hope you find them helpful.
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande – a straightforward conversation about what quality of life/dying looks like for different people, written by a doctor and including different real life examples.
What Happened to You? by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. I haven’t read this yet but it was recommended by a friend who is going through a lot right now. She said it’s about flipping the question from “what’s wrong with you” to “what happened to you.” It looks at trauma through a lens of science and understanding our behavioral responses.
Crying in H Mart (Michelle Zauner). It’s a memoir and a really good fit for what you’re asking.