Books to accompany the divorce process

For those on the divorce and separation journey, holidays can be a challenging time, so we’ve compiled a list of top reads to support, amuse and entertainment you. Along with some great escapist fiction, we’d recommend the following five books.

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

Best known for writing When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle, Ephron has written an autobiographical novel based on her own experience. With a two-year old child and seven months pregnant, Ephron’s husband left her as he was in love with someone else. Full of intelligent insights, comforting empathy and pitch perfect acid humour, this bittersweet novel will make you laugh and cry. The main character, Rachel is a cookery writer, so there’s also a few recipes to try.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Again, based on real life experience, Gilbert copes with her heartache by embarking on a year of travel. In Italy, she tries to comfort eat her way out of her anguish, while in India she turns to meditation and prayer and then finally, in Indonesia she finds love. This is a voyage of self-discovery and empowerment and may help to inspire you to start building a whole new life for yourself.

Aftermath: On Marriage and Separation by Rachel Cusk

It can help to read other people’s experience of what you’re going through, as it makes you feel less alone. This is an unflinching account of Cusk’s first year of separation and is excellent at creating the lonely and strange feel of the world after a relationship has broken down. The book chronicles how Cusk tried to pick herself up and make a new life for her and her children.

How to Sleep Alone in a King-size Bed, A Memoir by Theo Pauline Nestor

This is a comforting read about the author’s recovery from divorce. Taking you through those first difficult months with positive and helpful information to distract, support and nourish you, it is full of humour and insight. For those doubting they will ever come out the side of a relationship break down, this book is inspiring.

Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed

Angry, brave, sad, funny, compelling, and redemptive, this book is a deeply personal memoir about grief. After her mother’s death, Cheryl is broken, guilt-ridden and lost. Struggling to find her place in the world, she embarks on an epic adventure walking the Pacific Crest Trail. Unprepared and unfit for the journey ahead, the story acts as a metaphor for life itself, including those we meet along the way, who often appear at just the right time to support us. While this isn’t about divorce, it is a great book about the power of self-healing and transformation.