15 Sad Books that Will Emotionally Wreck You

A story as timely today as when it was first published, Khaled Hosseini gives voice to two women living in Afghanistan as they face challenges both in the streets of Kabul, as well as inside their own homes. Even though these women are from two different generations, the battles they face are the same, and only in each other will they find the strength to keep moving forward.

Never Let Me Go follows Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth, who met when they were children at the exclusive boarding school Hailsham, located in the English countryside. It was a mysterious place that brought about more questions than answers. Now, years later, the three are forced to look back on their experiences there and try to forge a new future. Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel is a poignant look at the loss of innocence, friendship, and love.

This powerful book follows the lives of sisters Celie and Nettie, two African American women living in the early 1900s in rural Georgia. As children, the two girls are separated, but their love and devotion to one another remains strong even across time and space. In addition to Celie and Nettie, the other women depicted are some of the most richly imagined characters in all of literature. This modern classic will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page.

In the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Kya Clark has been living on her own since her family abandoned her as a child. Because those in the town are wary of her—labeling her the “Marsh Girl”—her only friends and companions are the wildlife in the marsh itself. As a teenager, her wild beauty captures the eye of two boys in town, which opens up the world to Kya, that is until one of the boys is found dead. Part coming-of-age story, part murder mystery, and part celebration of nature, this book is a must-read.

Everything I Never Told You focuses on a Chinese American family living in the suburbs of Ohio in the 1970s. Parents James and Marilyn have high hopes for their favorite child Lydia, hoping that she will be able to accomplish everything that they never did for themselves. However, when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, her death will expose a web of family secrets, sending each family member tumbling off the edge.

When a plane crashes mid-flight, twelve-year-old Edward is the sole survivor. In the face of such profound loss, Edward must make the choice to pick up the pieces and move forward. With beautiful illuminating prose, Ann Napolitano has managed to create a book that is at turns heartbreaking and funny. It is a book about grief, but it centers on hope.

Fruit of the Drunken Tree focuses on the life of seven-year-old Chula growing up during Pablo Escobar-era Colombia. When Chula’s mother hires Petrona as a live-in maid, their lives will become entangled in ways they never imagined.

This stunning book from the author of Homegoing, focuses on Gifty, a PhD candidate studying depression and addiction. Reeling from the overdose of her brother, she aims to find answers in her studies, but she is also pulled into the evangelical church she grew up in. Gifty finds herself at the crossroads where the mysteries of God collide with scientific fact.

Tin Man is an unforgettable story about best friends Ellis and Michael. Since the age of twelve the two boys were inseparable, and eventually their relationship grows into something more. Fast-forward ten years, and we find that Ellis is now married to Annie, and Michael seems to be out of the picture. Deeply moving, this book explores how our friendships shape us, and is a wonderful celebration of love in all its forms.

Liesel Meminger is a foster child living in Nazi Germany in 1939. She spends her days stealing books and sharing them with her neighbors to read during the bombing raids, as well as the Jewish man who is hiding in her basement. You’ll fall in love with each character in this book, as they each offer a glimmer of hope even during the darkest of times.

At the center of this book is Dong-ho, a young boy who is killed during a violent student uprising in South Korea. As the story of his tragic death unfolds, we meet a host of characters who are all connected to that day. Each person must endure grief and hardship as they struggle to find the one thing they are searching for, a voice.

Winner of the Man Booker Prize, The God of Small Things is a multi-generational family saga, a forbidden love story, and a critique of the caste system in India. Throughout the novel, it shows how seemingly small decisions have lasting effects that can sometimes be felt decades—and generations—later.

The Blind Assassin begins with the mysterious death of a young novelist named Laura Chase. Decades later, her sister Iris tries to weave together her memories to discover the truth surrounding Laura’s death. Alongside Iris’s memories are chapters from the scandalous book that made Laura famous, in which we learn that most of the book’s plot is inspired by real events. This fascinating story-within-a-story will keep you riveted until the final twist.

This gorgeous debut novel is written as a letter from a son to his mother, who cannot read. It is a coming-of-age story about growing up as an immigrant in America and about finding and holding on to one’s identity. Written with beautiful and poetic language, this book will leave a lasting impression.