Tilly Nightingale's Books for Healing After Loss

Tilly Nightingale's Books for Healing After Loss

This article relates to This Book Made Me Think of You

In Libby Page's novel This Book Made Me Think of You, Tilly Nightingale receives an unexpected gift from her recently deceased husband, Joe: before he died, he hand-picked one book for each month of the first year she would be living without him. These books help Tilly rediscover her love of reading, and in a way, herself. Joe's selections inspire Tilly to try new things, explore the world, and chase after dreams she'd long forgotten. Below is a selection of the books that make up Joe's gift.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Joe knew Tilly was in a reading slump and thought that a book about a girl who shares her name (Tilly is short for Matilda) and loves to read was the perfect remedy. Dahl's Matilda is a precocious child with a love of books and the worst family imaginable: her father is a swindler, her mother is completely self-centered, and her brother is a nuisance at best. Finally allowed to attend school, Matilda receives comfort and guidance from her teacher, Miss Honey, but fears Miss Trunchbull, the tyrannical principal. When Matilda discovers she possesses supernatural abilities, she decides to fight back against both her principal and her family to find her happy ending.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Emily Henry's adult debut features a grieving, disillusioned romance writer and a literary writer suffering from severe writer's block. When the two find themselves neighbors while struggling to finish their next novels, they agree to swap genres for the summer. As each teaches the other about their respective writing style, they find themselves falling in love despite their emotional baggage and conflicting ideas about books.

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

Tilly and Joe had always planned to go to Paris but had run out of time. Joe chose this book to remind Tilly of their dreams of traveling, and the book inspires Tilly to travel to the City of Light on her own. Hemingway's short memoir covers his time in Paris in the 1920s, where he caroused with fellow writers such as James Joyce and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Hemingway details his early years as a professional writer and makes observations about the other American expats living in the city.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

Joe and Tilly enjoyed running together, but Tilly couldn't imagine running alone after Joe passed. Joe picked Murakami's memoir to remind Tilly of those morning runs, and Tilly becomes inspired to not only pick up running again but also to sign up for a half-marathon. When Murakami decided to become a writer, he began running to keep in shape. Within a year, he was hooked, and two decades later, he'd run dozens of races and written numerous books. This memoir covers Murakami's preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and showcases the role running has had in his life and writing.

Wild Camping by Stephen Neale

Although Tilly was more of a homebody, Joe loved to be outdoors. He tried to convince Tilly to go camping with him, and when he realized that wouldn't happen, he wanted to convince her to try it on her own by giving her Wild Camping. This book is a guide to camping outside designated camping sites. Stephen Neale shares personal stories about his experiences as well as information about wild camping in general (different types, must-have equipment, how to find water and food, etc.), and information specific to the United Kingdom, such as laws, suggested sites, maps, photographs, and more.

Lonely Planet London

Although Tilly and Joe lived in London, Joe realized that they'd gotten used to the wonder of the city and wanted Tilly to see its beauty through the eyes of a tourist. He gifted her this travel guide to encourage Tilly to explore the city right outside her door. Lonely Planet's guide to London provides expert advice for planning an unforgettable trip. This includes information on the best time to visit, the most popular attractions, modes of transportation, tips for visiting with kids and budgeting, and free things to do in the city.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Gilbert's popular self-help book encourages readers to live their most creative lives by embracing curiosity and accepting their creativity as a gift. Whether or not it is something kept to oneself or shared with the world, Gilbert hopes to inspire everyone to find their own brand of creativity and to not be afraid to enjoy it.

Through a diverse selection of books, Joe manages to change Tilly's life once again for the better. In the acknowledgements, Page mentions that just as the books she chose helped Tilly heal, "reading them helped [her] in countless ways, too." Books have the power to heal, inspire, challenge, and change, and this selection is a great starting point for readers looking for adventure or a new lease on life.

Filed under Reading Lists

This article relates to This Book Made Me Think of You. It first ran in the February 25, 2026 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.