Grief Is for People is a book about loss that is profuse with life. After the pain and confusion of losing her closest friend to suicide, Sloane Crosley looks for answers in philosophy and art, hoping for a framework more useful than the unavoidable stages of grief. For most of her adult life, Sloane and Russell worked together and played together as they navigated office life, the literary world, and the dramatic cultural shifts in New York City. When Russell dies, his suicide propels Sloane to explore what constitutes family and possession. Grief Is for People rises precisely to console and challenge our notions of mourning during these grief-stricken times.