10 Great Books for People Dealing With Illness
a book list by Heather Summerhayes Cariou, author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir
shelved under
Self-Help and
Health & Medicine
I grew up as a well-sibling and caregiver — my sister and brother both had cystic fibrosis. I promised my sister I would die with her, but instead she taught me how to live. While I was writing a book about my perspective on that experience — Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister’s Memoir — these books were on my reading list. Whether you are a patient or a caregiver, I hope they will be a light and a comfort to you, as they have been to me.
To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times
by Naomi Levy
This book became a bible of sorts for both my mother and me. When Rabbi Levy was a teenager, her father was murdered. Her spiritual journey from that point on has become bread for our own, whether it is illness, loss or any other difficulty we face. She really does reach out to us with comfort, faith and strength through this book.
Learning to Fall: The Blessings of an Imperfect Life
by Philip Simmons
Poetic and practical, this journal of a man dealing with the ever increasing limitations of Lou Gehrig’s disease is a road map for our own spiritual and emotional freedom.
Close to the Bone: Life Threatening Illness and the Search for Meaning
by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.
Enlightenment is power. The compassionate yet straightforward approach to illness (especially cancer) by this Jungian psychologist is both enlightening and powerful.
Healing Through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair
by Miriam Greenspan
Whether patient or caregiver, the "dark emotions" are huge part of any illness. We're often overwhelmed by and ashamed of those feelings. Miriam Greenspan helps us use the dark to see the light.
God Is at Eye Level: Photography as a Healing Art
by Jan Phillips
You may be surprised to see this book on this list, but as a tool for the despairing soul, the act and art of photography, and the way Jan teaches us to use it, can be powerfully healing.
Spirituality, Suffering, and Illness: Ideas for Healing
by Lorraine M. Wright, Ph.D.
This holistic assessment tool is an in-depth, step-by-step, practical guide to starting conversations about spirituality with patients and their families in order to encourage healing and alleviate (or diminish) emotional, physical, and/or spiritual suffering.
A Year to Live: How to Live This Year as If It Were Your Last
by Stephen Levine
Helps you to find or re-establish your commitment to life, even in the midst of turmoil, illness or dying.
Man's Search For Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
My sister’s template for how she lived the last years of her young life was taken from this book. Although it’s the story of Frankl's years in a Nazi concentration camp, it’s ultimately about finding your power in a situation where you appear to be powerless. A mighty metaphor for those dealing with a life-threatening illness.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
by Pema Chodron
Really helps you to re-frame your experience. Lots of food for thought; a very compassionate book. A Buddhist perspective on coping that’s approachable from any spiritual background.
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion
by Pema Chodron
If there are two must-haves when facing serious illness, they're fearlessness and compassion. Pema gets you there with 108 short lessons that you can read again and again, in any order. A book to carry around in your handbag!
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime.
more...
About Heather Summerhayes Cariou
As a child, Heather Summerhayes Cariou dreamed of becoming both a writer and a ballerina. When she learned the fates of the Bronte sisters, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, she chose ballet over writing, and ultimately became an actress. As the daughter of the founders of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Ms. Cariou has been involved in fund-raising and promotion for over forty years. She is notorious for her ability to prescribe the right self-help book to anyone she’s known for more than ten minutes, and is the author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
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Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life
10 Great Books for People Dealing With Illness
a book list by Heather Summerhayes Cariou, author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir
shelved under
Self-Help and
Health & Medicine
I grew up as a well-sibling and caregiver — my sister and brother both had cystic fibrosis. I promised my sister I would die with her, but instead she taught me how to live. While I was writing a book about my perspective on that experience — Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister’s Memoir — these books were on my reading list. Whether you are a patient or a caregiver, I hope they will be a light and a comfort to you, as they have been to me.
To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times
by Naomi Levy
This book became a bible of sorts for both my mother and me. When Rabbi Levy was a teenager, her father was murdered. Her spiritual journey from that point on has become bread for our own, whether it is illness, loss or any other difficulty we face. She really does reach out to us with comfort, faith and strength through this book.
Learning to Fall: The Blessings of an Imperfect Life
by Philip Simmons
Poetic and practical, this journal of a man dealing with the ever increasing limitations of Lou Gehrig’s disease is a road map for our own spiritual and emotional freedom.
Close to the Bone: Life Threatening Illness and the Search for Meaning
by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.
Enlightenment is power. The compassionate yet straightforward approach to illness (especially cancer) by this Jungian psychologist is both enlightening and powerful.
Healing Through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair
by Miriam Greenspan
Whether patient or caregiver, the "dark emotions" are huge part of any illness. We're often overwhelmed by and ashamed of those feelings. Miriam Greenspan helps us use the dark to see the light.
God Is at Eye Level: Photography as a Healing Art
by Jan Phillips
You may be surprised to see this book on this list, but as a tool for the despairing soul, the act and art of photography, and the way Jan teaches us to use it, can be powerfully healing.
Spirituality, Suffering, and Illness: Ideas for Healing
by Lorraine M. Wright, Ph.D.
This holistic assessment tool is an in-depth, step-by-step, practical guide to starting conversations about spirituality with patients and their families in order to encourage healing and alleviate (or diminish) emotional, physical, and/or spiritual suffering.
A Year to Live: How to Live This Year as If It Were Your Last
by Stephen Levine
Helps you to find or re-establish your commitment to life, even in the midst of turmoil, illness or dying.
Man's Search For Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
My sister’s template for how she lived the last years of her young life was taken from this book. Although it’s the story of Frankl's years in a Nazi concentration camp, it’s ultimately about finding your power in a situation where you appear to be powerless. A mighty metaphor for those dealing with a life-threatening illness.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
by Pema Chodron
Really helps you to re-frame your experience. Lots of food for thought; a very compassionate book. A Buddhist perspective on coping that’s approachable from any spiritual background.
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion
by Pema Chodron
If there are two must-haves when facing serious illness, they're fearlessness and compassion. Pema gets you there with 108 short lessons that you can read again and again, in any order. A book to carry around in your handbag!
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime.
more...
About Heather Summerhayes Cariou
As a child, Heather Summerhayes Cariou dreamed of becoming both a writer and a ballerina. When she learned the fates of the Bronte sisters, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, she chose ballet over writing, and ultimately became an actress. As the daughter of the founders of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Ms. Cariou has been involved in fund-raising and promotion for over forty years. She is notorious for her ability to prescribe the right self-help book to anyone she’s known for more than ten minutes, and is the author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life
10 Great Books for People Dealing With Illness
a book list by Heather Summerhayes Cariou, author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir
I grew up as a well-sibling and caregiver — my sister and brother both had cystic fibrosis. I promised my sister I would die with her, but instead she taught me how to live. While I was writing a book about my perspective on that experience — Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister’s Memoir — these books were on my reading list. Whether you are a patient or a caregiver, I hope they will be a light and a comfort to you, as they have been to me.
To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times
by Naomi Levy
This book became a bible of sorts for both my mother and me. When Rabbi Levy was a teenager, her father was murdered. Her spiritual journey from that point on has become bread for our own, whether it is illness, loss or any other difficulty we face. She really does reach out to us with comfort, faith and strength through this book.
Learning to Fall: The Blessings of an Imperfect Life
by Philip Simmons
Poetic and practical, this journal of a man dealing with the ever increasing limitations of Lou Gehrig’s disease is a road map for our own spiritual and emotional freedom.
Close to the Bone: Life Threatening Illness and the Search for Meaning
by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.
Enlightenment is power. The compassionate yet straightforward approach to illness (especially cancer) by this Jungian psychologist is both enlightening and powerful.
Healing Through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair
by Miriam Greenspan
Whether patient or caregiver, the "dark emotions" are huge part of any illness. We're often overwhelmed by and ashamed of those feelings. Miriam Greenspan helps us use the dark to see the light.
God Is at Eye Level: Photography as a Healing Art
by Jan Phillips
You may be surprised to see this book on this list, but as a tool for the despairing soul, the act and art of photography, and the way Jan teaches us to use it, can be powerfully healing.
Spirituality, Suffering, and Illness: Ideas for Healing
by Lorraine M. Wright, Ph.D.
This holistic assessment tool is an in-depth, step-by-step, practical guide to starting conversations about spirituality with patients and their families in order to encourage healing and alleviate (or diminish) emotional, physical, and/or spiritual suffering.
A Year to Live: How to Live This Year as If It Were Your Last
by Stephen Levine
Helps you to find or re-establish your commitment to life, even in the midst of turmoil, illness or dying.
Man's Search For Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
My sister’s template for how she lived the last years of her young life was taken from this book. Although it’s the story of Frankl's years in a Nazi concentration camp, it’s ultimately about finding your power in a situation where you appear to be powerless. A mighty metaphor for those dealing with a life-threatening illness.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
by Pema Chodron
Really helps you to re-frame your experience. Lots of food for thought; a very compassionate book. A Buddhist perspective on coping that’s approachable from any spiritual background.
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion
by Pema Chodron
If there are two must-haves when facing serious illness, they're fearlessness and compassion. Pema gets you there with 108 short lessons that you can read again and again, in any order. A book to carry around in your handbag!
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime. more...
About Heather Summerhayes Cariou
As a child, Heather Summerhayes Cariou dreamed of becoming both a writer and a ballerina. When she learned the fates of the Bronte sisters, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, she chose ballet over writing, and ultimately became an actress. As the daughter of the founders of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Ms. Cariou has been involved in fund-raising and promotion for over forty years. She is notorious for her ability to prescribe the right self-help book to anyone she’s known for more than ten minutes, and is the author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life