What to Read, Watch, and Listen to During Grief Awareness Month
PIH staff recommend books, podcasts, and movies for people of all ages learning how to brave grief
Posted on Aug 5, 2026
Confronting—and even talking about—death can be incredibly challenging. Whether contending with our own morality or trying to survive the loss of a loved one, grief can be a powerful emotion to face on your own.
At Partners In Health (PIH), we accompany our colleagues, patients, and even supporters through end-of-life experiences. As we recognize National Grief Awareness Month, we hope to provide several resources to support folks dealing with the profound impacts of grief.
In addition to being National Grief Awareness Month, August is also National Make a Will Month. Many supporters of PIH have already begun creating plans for their legacies, ensuring the causes they care about are supported during their lifetime and beyond.
Whether you have already planned your will, are still figuring out how to start, acting as a caregiver, or undergoing a period of grief, PIH’s Gift Planning team aims to accompany our supporters through their unique journeys.
As a place to start, we gathered eight resources from our PIH colleagues to help provide comfort, kinship, and understanding through the human experiences of caregiving, end-of-life planning, and grief. Check out our recommendations for what to read, watch, and listen to during sorrowful times below:
"The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor" by Arthur Kleinman
Recommended by Ellen Ball, Senior Informatics Engineer and Carole Mitnick, Harvard Medical School
“The memoir and love story of Dr. Arthur Kleinman and his wife Joan during their long, beautiful lives. Arthur describes the meaning of being together when he becomes a caregiver during Joan's early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Arthur is a Harvard psychiatrist/anthropologist and mentor to Paul Farmer, as well as Jim Kim and Salmaan Keshavjee. Paul wrote: ‘The Soul of Care will leave you shaken but instructed, with an ethical imperative and hopeful lessons regarding how best to cultivate one's humanity over the course of a lifetime.’”
Movers and Shakers
Recommended by Lucy Clarke, Manager, Donor Events
“Movers and Shakers is a podcast in which six friends come together to share candid conversations about the challenges and realities of living with Parkinson’s disease. These six friends manage to balance optimism with realism as they try to support others on a similar journey. Their Palliative Care episode might be especially relevant for those seeking to hear more about care that goes beyond the merely curative.”
Meet Joe Black
Recommended by Yerkebulan Algozhin, Executive Director, PIH Kazakhstan
“This film explores life, death, love, and the importance of human relationships. It offers a thoughtful perspective on accepting the end of life and saying goodbye to loved ones. I think it helps people reflect on what is truly important in life and how we face loss with dignity.”
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Recommended by Vikram Albrecht, Manager, External Relations
“As a fantasy book, I really enjoyed the premise of people having to grapple with their own deaths at a tea shop, run by a ferryman who helps spirits transition to what comes next. The main characters’ different experiences with grief (and also love) are deeply grounded in empathy, and this book does a wonderful job exploring how much grief changes a person. I highly recommend reading this book on a slightly overcast day in a park or forest under a large willow tree, if possible.”
The Work of Courtney E. Martin
Recommended by Sarah Greenberg, Associate, Prospect Management and Research
“Courtney is a caregiver for two children and her father, who has dementia and lives in an assisted living community. Her writing and her Substack, The Examined Family, cover so many aspects of caregiving for someone at the end of their life, including honoring their different selves, the importance of community at any age, grief (all the different ways that grief shows up when caregiving), and how to confront the expectations and societal structures around caregiving. I love learning about her dad through her writing and deeply appreciate the way she walks readers through this specific experience in such a generous and open-hearted way.”
All There Is with Anderson Cooper
Recommended by Ellen Ball, Senior Informatics Engineer
“While Anderson Cooper deals with his own grief and tragedy, on this podcast, he listens and shares with his podcast guests about their loss. There is comfort in knowing that others have similar feelings.”
Come See Me in the Good Light
Recommended by Jamie Arena, Senior Partnership Manager
“This film provides any viewer with a confluence of deep sadness and even deeper joy. It showcases the importance of an individual's resilient spirit and the power of accompaniment—whether by a partner or a carefully cultivated community of friends—who bear witness to the tumultuous experience and, somehow, allow gratitude to exist alongside grief.”
Children’s Books that Address Loss
All recommended by Christina Ondrik, Senior Analyst, Prospect Development
"These four stunning picture books are all great conversation starters for kids, especially on an emotionally difficult topic, and also beautifully cathartic journeys for young-at-heart grownups.
Ida, Always by Caron Levis & illustrated by Charles Santoso
Inspired by a real bear friendship, Gus and Ida are best friends. The book's description reads: 'One sad day, Gus learns that Ida is very sick, and she isn't going to get better. The friends help each other face the difficult news with whispers, sniffles, cuddles, and even laughs. Slowly, Gus realizes that even after Ida is gone, she will still be with him—through the sounds of their city, and the memories that live in their favorite spots.'
Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande & illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane
A young boy is taught how to paint by his grandfather, who passes away. The boy inherits his grandfather's paintbrush and gradually learns how to find joy in painting again, as well as his dadaji's memory.
Drawn Onward by Daniel Nayeri & illustrated by Matt Rockefeller
The book is summarized as: 'A young boy grieving the loss of his mother embarks on a lushly fantastical adventure that illuminates what remains when our loved ones are gone.' These illustrations are incredible, and the entire book is a palindrome, including the title.
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
When something terrible happens, all the animals think they know how to help Taylor process his loss. Then the rabbit arrives—and all the rabbit does is listen, which is exactly what Taylor needs."
Leave a Lasting Legacy
August is Grief Awareness Month and Make-A-Will Month and we believe it’s the perfect time to take an important step toward securing your future and supporting the causes you care about.
Begin planning your legacy with our free Legacy Creation Kit, including a resource to create a legally valid will at no cost. If you've already included Partners In Health in your plans, we'd love to hear from you and welcome you to Tom's Circle.
Paul's Promise
As we mourn the passing of our beloved Dr. Paul Farmer, we also honor his life and legacy.
Bending the Arc
More than 30 years ago, a movement began that would change global health forever. Bending the Arc is the story of Partners In Health's origins.