The books in this series may contain language, sexual content, violence or themes of grief and loss, which may be challenging for some readers. Reader caution advised.
2025 Fall Read – An Undercurrent of Grief
by Kathleen Holt
One’s Reaction to Grief
From the epic grief of ancient Greek tragedies to the intimate portrayals in contemporary memoirs, literature offers a rich tapestry of loss and mourning. These stories not only reflect our own experiences with grief but also offer insights into the diverse ways that individuals cope with loss. Through their exploration of grief, writers help us understand this complex emotion, reminding us of our shared humanity in the face of loss. (https://www.myfarewelling.com/article/grief-in-literature-an-exploration-of-loss-portrayal)
The following quotations are shared to inspire your thinking as we embark on a reading journey that explores the concept of grieving.
● Washington Irving's observed that "There is a sacredness in tears" which are "not a sign of weakness, but of a heart capable of great love.”
● “You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.” ― Anne
● “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing. ― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed
At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.”
― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed
2025 FALL READ – UNDERCURRENT OF GRIEF
The books in this series contain themes of grief and loss, which may be challenging for some readers.
Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel by George Saunders, 2017
American Mother by Colum McCann & Diane Foley, 2024
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love & Loss, by Margaret Renkl, 2021
ON-AIR, LIVE DISCUSSION
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Radio Reader BookBytes will air each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during All Things Considered and Morning Edition. And don’t forget to mark your calendar for the season’s finale scheduled for Sunday, November 9, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
