Books That Make You Cry: Heartbreaking and Healing Reads You’ll Never Forget

When you think about the books that stay with you long after the last page, chances are they fall into two categories: the heartbreaking books that made you cry and the healing reads that stitched your heart back together.

For the first episode of Season 4 of Another Chapter, we asked our listeners to share the most emotional books they’ve ever read: the ones that left them sobbing, gave them hope, or reminded them why tearjerker novels matter so much.

Heartbreaking Books That Stay With You 

Some stories are devastating in the best way. They wreck us, haunt us, and remind us of the raw emotional power of fiction. If you’re searching for tearjerker novels that will make you cry, here are some listener favourites:

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – A WWII novel about love, sacrifice, and survival. (Claire adored this and really recommends that you pick this one up!)

• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart – A heartbreaking story of addiction, poverty, and resilience.

For Rebecca, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver was unforgettable. More than just a novel, it’s a gut punch of grief and resilience that left her emotionally shattered yet in awe.

These sad books are tough to read, but they’re often the ones that stay with you forever.

Healing Books That Mend Your Heart 

Not all emotional fiction leaves us broken. Some stories balance pain with hope, kindness, and joy... the perfect books to heal your heart after a heavy read!

Our listeners recommended:

• Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian – A beloved children’s classic that pairs wartime sadness with warmth and love.

• My Friends by Fredrik Backman – Poignant and reflective, but ultimately uplifting.

These healing books are like a balm for the soul. They remind us of humanity’s resilience, love, and ability to endure.

Why We Love Sad Books and Tearjerker Novels

So why do readers keep coming back to books that make us cry? Because they make us feel.

In a fast-paced, distraction-filled world, heartbreaking novels force us to slow down, connect with characters, and live fully through their stories. They prove that to feel deeply is to live deeply, whether we’re crying, laughing, or both. Reading these books help us to be more empathetic humans and we feel they make us better citizens of the world.

Reader-Recommended Tearjerker Novels 

We asked our Instagram community to share the sad books that broke (or healed) their hearts, and here’s what they said:

• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes — “It wrecked me, but I couldn’t stop recommending it.”

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak — “I sobbed through the last fifty pages.”

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr — “A stunning WWII novel that broke my heart but left me in awe of its beauty.”

Share Your Favourite Emotional Books

Drop your thoughts in the comments or join our new WhatsApp reading group to swap emotional fiction recommendations.

Because at the end of the day, it’s the heartbreaking books and healing reads; the ones that make us cry, heal, and feel everything in between, that turn into another chapter worth remembering.