They’re personally some of my favorite books yet the discourse on them is extremely sparse and far in between, so here are some with a spoiler free synopsis:

1- Random Harvest by James Hilton - this is a story about a WWI soldier who got a head injury in the war that gave him intermittent amnesia. It basically doesn’t allow him to remember his life before the war and after the war at the same time. It’s a bit inaccurate of its depiction of amnesia yet the book provides some genuine pain due to the main character’s memory struggles and consequent erratic behavior. It’s mostly a romance with the female protagonist being one of the most “real ones” out there. I would definitely recommend if you’re into romance mixed with heartache and a feeling of having lost something in your life that you can’t exactly pinpoint.

2- Ordinary People by Judith Guest - it’s about a kid in high school trying to keep it together both in his personal and family life after his older, and much more popular brother dies in a boating accident when they were boating together. His relationship with his mother is gut wrenching, and his father who struggles silently tries his might to keep his family together. Other than his family, he meets a psychiatrist who tries to help process his trauma after leaving a mental hospital due to a suicide attempt. This book is brutal in its depiction of guilt, mental illness and a mother-son relationship that’s quickly falling apart at the seams. Would recommend if you want a book with a good psychiatrist representation and an absolutely depressing plot. TWs of almost everything related to depression and suicidal ideation.

3- Dear Cary: my life with Cary Grant by Dyan Canon - Ok, this one is a bit different from the two previous books because it’s really an autobiography. It’s an extremely interesting and at points, both heartwarming and heartbreaking book about Dyan’s marriage to the actor Cary Grant. It’s written in a novel-style mostly which makes it less boring to read in addition to the unfiltered, almost jovial writing style of Dyan. Even if you don’t know anything about Cary Grant, you’ll find yourself both getting extremely frustrated by him due to his borderline abusive way of treating Dyan at the end of their marriage, and feeling sorry for him because of how much he struggled throughout his life due to neglectful/unpredictable parents and a plethora of other mental issues. Keep in mind though that this book deals with topics of both manipulation and mental abuse.

4- Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton - Another Hilton book that focuses on a school teacher and the many generations he taught before, during, and after WWI. I found the book to be extremely sad and will actually break your heart at some points. There is a romantic side plot which is also as devastating as the main plot. It’s a great short book that I would recommend if you want to get really sentimental about teachers, I guess.

These are some books at the top of my head and if I remember more of them, I’ll update the post. I would definitely recommend you give them a try because they are worth it. Also, I apologize in advance if they are not underrated.