“The half-life of love is forever,” or so Junot Díaz famously wrote in This Is How You Lose Her.
That brutal but beautiful sentiment will ring true for anyone who’s just had their heart broken: When you’re in the midst of a separation, it feels like you will never, ever stop loving the other person.
However, I can personally attest to the truth of that “time heals all wounds” adage, but I can also personally attest to the truth of that “patience is a virtue” adage. And honestly, who feels virtuous after a breakup?
So while you wait for patience and time to work their magic, I suggest you take matters into your own hands and nudge the healing forward by reading some books about breakups and heartbreak.
Cheryl Strayed is the fairy godmother to an entire generation of readers, and her Dear Sugar columns are guaranteed to soothe your aching heart — no matter the cause of the hurt. Purchase it here.
A love story told from beginning to end through dictionary entries. It’s concise, but the simplicity of it actually emphasizes the brutal truths that underpin this ill-fated romance. This is a book you’ll want to quote to all your friends. Purchase it here.
No one wrote about love quite like Nora Ephron. And no one wrote about the loss of love quite like Nora Ephron, either. In this autobiographical novel, Ephron walks you through a breakup that is definitely not her own with humor, heart, and a whole lot of recipes. Purchase it here.
Okun splits herself open to write about one of the least talked-about (and most emotionally damaging) aspects of breaking up: the severing of the pre-established rules — the rules being, of course, that you won’t hurt the other person. What do you do when suddenly “your person” isn’t “your person” anymore? Okun doesn’t have all the answers, but she certainly has a lot of lived wisdom to share, and maybe her book will inspire you to pick up a new hobby to work your way out of heartbreak. Purchase it here.
However you decide to move on, remember to also move up.
