---
title: "Your Reading Roadmap: The Nonfiction Books That Help Through Divorce, Grief and Caregiving"
description: Brittany Snow shares non-fiction books that steadied her after divorce and her father’s Alzheimer’s – from grief and trauma to mindfulness and self-therapy.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2025-10-14T12:45:19.000Z
updated: 2026-06-29T08:43:19.013Z
canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/your-reading-roadmap-the-nonfiction-books-that-help-through-divorce-grief-and-caregiving
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/9ciln1ybspa.jpg
categories: Reading Lists
content_type: Guide
region: Global
publication: Rich Books
---

[https://www.youtube.com/embed/TmkqX_m560M?feature=oembed](https://www.youtube.com/embed/TmkqX_m560M?feature=oembed)

On Bustle’s One Nightstand podcast, Brittany Snow explains why she reaches for nonfiction when life feels unsteady. ‘I feel like I’m utilising my time a little bit more [with nonfiction],’ Snow said, ‘even though that it completely nonsensical.’ The actress turns to books with twin intentions—to learn practical ways of managing emotions and to heal through [difficult transitions](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/questions-to-ask-yourself-8216-fool-for-thought-8217-feels-like-the-conversation-you-need-a9bada).

Snow’s reading choices reflect specific pressures in her life. Her divorce from Tyler Stanaland and her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis pushed her toward certain titles, as she revealed in the [Bustle interview](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/brittany-snow-favorite-books-murdaugh-hunting-wives). In a [People magazine feature](https://people.com/brittany-snow-father-has-alzheimers-disease-8693906), she described her father John Snow as her ‘best friend’ and spoke about the slow grief of watching the disease progress over six years.

Snow connects her reading habits to deeper patterns formed in childhood. She describes herself as a ‘chameleon person’, shaped by a family history that influences how she responds to success. ‘When you become successful or a big thing happens in your career, most perfectionists and most people who have parents like this don’t feel proud of themselves. They feel relief. And I really relate to that,’ she explained. This resonates with many women who discover that [healing from childhood trauma](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/writing-has-healing-powers-how-a-woman-found-a-new-life-purpose-when-walked-away-from-old-tra-9af786) becomes a lifelong journey of self-discovery.

## Book by book: what each title offers

###### Are You Mad at Me? by Meg Josephson

[Josephson’s book](https://amzn.to/3KPwxJc) addresses chronic people-pleasing through the lens of the ‘fawning’ trauma response. According to the publisher, fawning is a survival mechanism developed in childhood—an extreme form of people-pleasing characterised by consistently abandoning one’s own needs to avoid conflict or criticism. Snow connected with the author’s shared background of family alcoholism and Alzheimer’s, saying the book helped ‘heal her inner child’.

For readers who habitually prioritise other people’s comfort over their own, this book offers [recognition and practical tools](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/finding-poetry-in-survival-how-to-built-a-life-and-a-home-at-alaska-8217-s-edge-256885) for breaking the pattern.

###### The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

[Singer’s book ](https://amzn.to/46QjNut)centres on the practice of observing thoughts rather than becoming entangled in them. Snow found this perspective life-changing: ‘I can actually step back from and realise that I’m observing the thoughts as opposed to being around them and inside of them.’ The book offers meditation techniques and exercises for creating distance between yourself and your mental chatter—practical tools for anxiety and overthinking.

###### The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

[Didion’s memoir ](https://amzn.to/3W5joOK)served Snow during multiple losses—first when her dog died, then as her father’s condition worsened. Snow values its raw honesty over prescriptive advice. ‘It’s not prescriptive. It’s not these beautiful lessons of what to do or how to feel—it’s really just her baring her soul,’ she explained. The book made her ‘a lot more present’ with her father, offering a model for sitting with grief rather than rushing past it. For those navigating similar family challenges, there’s profound strength in [finding quiet strength through everyday faith](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/finding-happiness-in-quiet-strength-real-family-and-the-small-miracles-of-everyday-faith-3e8744) and presence.

###### Untamed by Glennon Doyle

A friend recommended [Doyle’s memoir](https://untamedbook.com/) during Snow’s divorce. The book reinforced her belief that emotional risk and reward are inseparable. ‘I would choose having the love and then the heartbreak because I love feeling everything,’ Snow reflected. For those navigating separation or questioning relationships, the book serves as a reminder that choosing to feel fully—even when it hurts—can be its own form of courage. This willingness to embrace transformation mirrors the way [healing becomes a ripple effect](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/the-power-of-healing-whispers-of-the-soul-8217-s-ripple-effect-f76818) that touches every aspect of our lives.

## Practical applications for readers

These books work as companions through specific challenges. Pair Josephson’s work with Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score for deeper understanding of trauma responses. Follow Singer’s book with Pema Chödrön’s When Things Fall Apart for Buddhist perspectives on mindfulness during crisis. For women seeking genuine approaches to emotional wellbeing, [the art of self-therapy](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/why-8216-the-art-of-self-therapy-8217-speaks-to-women-tired-of-shortcuts-real-stories-real-he-053b4e) offers authentic alternatives to quick fixes.

Start with five-minute practices: Singer’s technique of watching thoughts like clouds passing, or Josephson’s exercise of pausing before automatically saying yes to requests. All four titles are available through major publishers—check local libraries or second-hand shops to reduce costs.

## Finding your own roadmap

Snow’s reading list isn’t prescriptive—it’s a set of tools that worked for her specific circumstances. Her willingness to feel everything, even heartbreak, suggests these books offer something beyond self-improvement. They provide language for experiences that often feel unspeakable and company during isolation. Like many women who choose [authentic storytelling over surface solutions](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/quiet-strength-why-8216-unpacking-the-weight-within-8217-feels-like-finally-letting-your-guar-052de8), Snow demonstrates the power of letting your guard down.

For those facing similar challenges, start with Singer’s opening exercise: spend five minutes observing your thoughts without judgement, noticing the difference between the observer and the observed. It’s a small practice that opens the door to [everything else these books offer](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/melinda-french-gates-is-still-learning-what-comes-next-421a56)—presence, healing and the radical act of choosing to feel it all.