Nonfiction

The Nature Fix – Florence Williams
Explores how spending time in nature improves mental health, reduces stress, and supports emotional recovery, including coping with grief.
Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
A reflective account of human connection to nature, loss, and personal transformation, highlighting the healing power of wilderness experiences.
The Grief Recovery Handbook – John W. James & Russell Friedman
Provides practical strategies for processing grief and finding emotional resilience, with suggestions for incorporating nature into healing routines.
The Healing Power of Nature – Andy Clark
Discusses scientific research and personal stories showing how immersion in natural environments supports coping with loss and emotional distress.
Awakening the Heart: Reflections on Grief and Nature – Mary Ann C. Frey
Blends personal reflection with therapeutic techniques for using natural settings to process grief, find peace, and restore emotional balance.

Fiction

The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
A classic story showing how engaging with a garden and nature can bring emotional healing, growth, and renewed joy after loss.
Prodigal Summer – Barbara Kingsolver
Intertwines human relationships with the natural world, illustrating how connection to nature supports coping with life’s challenges and grief.
A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman
While primarily a story of loss and recovery, the novel shows how simple interactions with nature and the community help the protagonist navigate grief.
The Overstory – Richard Powers
A multi-layered novel exploring human grief, loss, and healing through profound connections to trees and the natural world.
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
Features themes of resilience and hope, with nature playing a subtle but important role in characters’ recovery from loss and trauma.