The Best Books To Read During Hard Times

By Southern Living

When you’re going through a difficult time, sometimes you need a book to sit with—a book that will transport you and offer solace. For just this reason, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite books to read during hard times. These books can offer an escape, sure, but they can also help you see challenges, problems—even grief—in a new light. On this list, we’ve included heartwarming classics such as The Secret Garden and Anne of Green Gables, as well as inspirational books published more recently. All of them delve into the complexities of life and offer unique perspectives on challenges, perseverance, grief, and hope. They tackle loss, aging, loneliness, growing up, finding purpose, and cultivating happiness in voices you will love to listen to and will find yourself returning to again and again. Some will even make you laugh. If you’re looking for pages to comfort you, pick up one of these books from your local library, and take heart.

Start Slideshow
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

1 of 13

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Amazon

To buy: $16, amazon.com, indiebound.org

An elderly gentleman called Ove learns to see the world in a new light in Fredrik Backman’s funny and touching novel set in Sweden.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 13

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Amazon

To buy: $18.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Family is at the heart of Betty Smith’s classic coming-of-age novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which finds a hopeful young girl struggling with the hardships of poverty in early-1900s Brooklyn.

3 of 13

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Amazon

To buy: $16, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Anne Shirley, the heroine of L.M. Montgomery’s classic novel, proves that even in the wake of tragedy, sometimes all it takes is a little imagination to change your life and the life of your community.

Advertisement

4 of 13

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Amazon

To buy: $17, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoir is the result of a life-changing journey, a “search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia,” which she embarked on when her life at home reached a critical turning point.  

5 of 13

Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy by Anne Lamott

Amazon

To buy: $20, amazon.com, indiebound.org

This slim volume is packed full of inspiration on how to embrace mercy, which Lamott defines as “radical kindness”; it’s a foundation upon which to forgive others—and oneself—for pains big and small.

6 of 13

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Amazon

To buy: $16.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

If you’re searching for inspiration and humor in equal measure, you’ll need to look no further than David Sedaris’ hilarious and heartening essays.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 13

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Amazon

To buy: $16.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Life is a journey, and Paulo Coelho’s bestselling novel The Alchemist is a poetic reminder of that beautiful, painful, essential fact.

8 of 13

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Amazon

To buy: $7.19, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Rediscovery and rebirth are the beautiful themes at the heart of this classic novel, which follows a broken family as they cultivate a secret garden and find their way back to each other in the process.

9 of 13

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

Amazon

To buy: $16, amazon.com, indiebound.org

For two years, Cheryl Strayed wrote the “Dear Sugar” advice column, and some of her most inspiring and insightful answers to letters are collected in this wonderful volume.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 13

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Amazon

To buy: $17.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

The journey of life—its ups and downs, its triumphs and tragedies—are traced in the life of Zora Neale Hurston’s heroine Janie Crawford, who learns that the most essential act of all is claiming your own experience and telling your own story.

11 of 13

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Amazon

To buy: $25, amazon.com, indiebound.org

Dr. Paul Kalanithi wrote this beautiful, posthumously published meditation on life and loss as he was battling advanced lung cancer. It’s an exquisite perspective on comprehending mortality and purpose from the perspective of a doctor during his career and, at the end of his life, as a patient.

12 of 13

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

Amazon

To buy: $16.99, amazon.com, indiebound.org

If you’re looking for permission to change your life in big ways or in small, let Shonda Rhimes’ book Year of Yes give you wholehearted permission, plus guidelines for how to do it.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Popular in Southern Culture

All Topics in Southern Culture

Advertisement