My Top 5 Christian Fiction Books Dealing with Death
Ranking the best Christian novels dealing with grief
Death is something we will all have to deal with at some point in our lives. The intense grief from the death of loved ones can be debilitating, but as Christians we do not grief without hope. And as with most things, one of the best ways to deal with grief is to read a story about dealing with it.
So here are my top 5 books that deal with death.
Slight spoilers to follow
1. Dawn’s Light from the Restoration series by Terri Blackstock
Oh my this book. I had no idea how Terri Blackstock would end such an exceptional series, but this book surpassed all my expectations. I won't spoil it too much, but in terms of dealing with grief, this book shows the main characters struggling with knowing that God is a healer, but not seeing the precious little girl recover. How should we respond when God chooses not to heal someone? That is the question this book answers in an intensely beautiful way. Warning, this is not a book you want to read unless you're okay with crying.
2. The Shack by WM. Paul Young
The Shack has its theological criticisms and plot wise it's a bit lacking, but it is a fantastic story of understanding grief through the lens of understanding who God is. If you're looking for a theologically deep story that answers the question of why bad things happen to good people, then The Shack is for you.
3. When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker
When Heaven Weeps is different from the others on this list because while the others deal with grappling with grief, When Heaven Weeps is all about facing death ourselves. How should we respond to staring into the eyes of death? Do we run, do we try to fight it, or do we stand firm in the truth of Jesus no matter what we face.
4. Coming Home from the Baxter series by Karen Kingsbury
In a 30+ and counting Christian romance book series, death is something the Baxter family has faced before (In fact number 5 on this list is also from this series), but nothing compares to Coming Home in terms of impact on the characters and the reader. A sudden and tragic accident wipes out a beloved daughter, her husband, and most of her kids, the rest of the family must come together to deal with the realization that life is too short.
5. Reunion from the Baxter series by Karen Kingsbury
Our last one is also apart of the Baxter family series, although much earlier in the series. Cancer is something too many have to deal with, and in this book, the family must deal with it too. Can the family come together despite their differences before its too late to say goodbye?