“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.”
Divorce can be one of the most profoundly painful and confusing experiences in a person’s life. thankfully, there is a wealth of self-help books about divorce tailored to provide the solace and guidance that a reader needs to find their way out of this emotional labyrinth with renewed strength and optimism. Some present practical advice, and provide emotional healing, whereas others provide a sense of comfort by detailing their own stories and lessons. Join us today at What We Reading as we present the best books on divorce. From memoirs that provide intimate insights into personal journeys to expert guides jam-packed full of actionable strategies, these reads all provide the comfort, clarity, and empowerment anyone looking to move on from a heartbreak needs!
Heartbreak: A Personal And Scientific Journey – Florence Williams
First up on our list of the best books about divorce is Florence Williams’ Heartbreak. When her twenty-five-year marriage fell apart, the renowned journalist was expecting the loss to hurt. What she hadn’t imagined was winding up in a hospital listening to how the cells in our bodies listen to loneliness. Tracing the new science of ‘social pain’, she begins to delve deeper into why heartbreaks hurt so much and why so much of the tried-and-tested ‘wisdom’ around them is flawed.
Heartbreak blends Williams’ insights into the science of why heartbreaks hurt with personal strategies she employs to heal her way back to health. Undergoing everything from electric shocks while looking at pictures of her ex to testing her blood for genetic markers of grief, this 2022 book about divorce merges science and self-discovery that promises to change how we view grief, loneliness, and health.
High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped And How We Get Out – Amanda Ripley
Investigative journalist Amanda Ripley has devoted her professional career to studying high-conflict zones, whether it be in war-torn countries or local neighbourhood classrooms. In her acclaimed 2021 psychology book, High Conflict, she tackles what draws people into conflict, the differences between ‘good’ and ‘high’ conflict, and presents numerous case studies on how conflict can be transformed into something good.
Whilst High Conflict isn’t solely built about divorce, Ripley spends a lot of time with Gary Friedman, who pioneered the concept of divorce mediation and who reminds readers how conflict is capable of trapping all of us. Ultimately, High Conflict is a self-help book designed to help show readers how we find ourselves stranded in conflict and how, with practice, we can get out with help from others.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful – Maggie Smith
Nominated for Best Memoir and Autobiography in the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards, You Could Make This Place Beautiful is a book about divorce, empowerment, womanhood, and gender roles by poet Maggie Smith.
The book is a poignant exploration of a woman’s unflinching devotion to her children, her art, and herself. Presented with empathy and striking self-inquiry, she documents the heartbreak that followed her breakup and demonstrates how the possibility of change is both transformative and ever-existing. Most of all, You Could Make This Place Beautiful is a reminder to readers how, even in the chaos of an earth-shattering loss, power can always be rediscovered and something new can be built in its place.
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow – Elizabeth Lesser
Broken Open is the New York Times bestselling book on divorce by Elizabeth Lesser, co-founder of the Omega Institute, the world’s largest centre for spiritual retreats. Throughout her life, Lesser has become well-acquainted with how people navigate change and transition. Her 2004 book is a curated collection of heartwarming stories, personal insights, and practical guidance on how we can all be broken open and transformed when faced with times of challenge.
Drawing on the world’s most renowned spiritual and psychological traditions, Broken Open is a passionate and inspiring guide to healing, growth, and the potential every day brings, even when confronted by adversity and loss.
Letting Go: The Pathway To Surrender (Power vs. Force #9) – David R. Hawkins
David R. Hawkins presents another one of the best spiritual books on divorce in Letting Go. This self-help book presents simple and effective guidance to releasing obstacles holding readers back and moving forward, free of negativity.
After decades of clinical psychiatric practice, Hawkins condenses all of the lessons he has acquired in nursing the lessons learned from suffering into one accessible resource. Although it isn’t as quick of a read as others on this list, his lessons are useful in helping readers stop suppressing and repressing unwanted emotions and better examine situations for the truth of what they are. Still one of the most comprehensive resources available for confronting the familiar feelings of grief, shame, and anger that come with heartbreak, Letting Go teaches readers how to let go of blame and begin the process of healing.
Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps To Living Happily Even After – Katherine Woodward Thomas
In her 2015 book on relationships, Conscious Uncoupling, Katherine Woodward Thomas tackles how people view relationships breaking apart as personal failures, rather than an opportunity. Instead of honouring what two people meant to one another, bitterness and anger take hold, leading to shame and resentment.
Instead, Woodward Thomas presents a new way of moving on from a relationship through her five steps to living happily even after based on mutual respect, kindness, and deep caring. Conscious Uncoupling is recommended reading for those going through a divorce, providing readers with the skills and tools to find emotional freedom, reclaim their power, become a ‘love alchemist,’ and move toward a new life that is empowered and flourishing.
The Book Of Boundaries – Melissa Urban
For those readers who have found themselves feeling like their relationships are one-sided or unbalanced, Melissa Urban’s acclaimed work, The Book of Boundaries, is a must-read. One of the best books about divorce and other breakdowns in relationships, Urban’s 2022 release shows readers how boundaries are the key to better mental health, improved productivity, and more fulfilling relationships.
Delivered with her trademark warmth, compassion, and directness, this straightforward and practical guide helps readers identify their worth, establish boundaries with everyone from bosses, and partners to themselves and create healthy habits around clear communication going forward. User-friendly and approachable, The Book of Boundaries is one of the best self-help books for finding the tools to stop justifying, minimizing, and apologizing, leading to more rewarding and healthier relationships.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
