The Memoir From Reese's Book Club That Left Readers In Tears

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Reese's Book Club offers reading enthusiasts recommendations for all kinds of books, from thrillers like "The House in the Pines" by Ana Reyes to rom-coms like Emma Lord's "You Have a Match." But from the general upbeat demeanor of the organization founded by "Little Fires Everywhere" actor Reese Witherspoon, you would probably assume Reese's Book Club would recommend more beach reads than tear-jerkers. However, the club maintains an eclectic range of picks each month, and one particular memoir gave readers more feels than they bargained for. 

"Happiness: A Memoir: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After" by Heather Harpham was the Reese's Book Club pick of April 2018, and the verdict is in: This one will probably have you in tears, even if readers haven't quite voted it the best Reese's Book Club pick of all time. "This beautiful memoir follows Heather's story as she gives birth to a baby girl, Gracie, whose life is at stake," Witherspoon wrote of the book on the club's website. "The harrowing events that follow will have you up all night, reading to find out what happens next. There's heartbreak, joy, and lots of love — I won't give it away, but trust me: have your tissues ready."

Of course, reading is subjective, so what makes Witherspoon bawl like a baby might have no effect on someone else. But the vast majority of Goodreads ratings — of which there are more than 15,000 — have led to an average mark of 4.1 stars, many of them attached to reviews confirming that the memoir is heartbreaking. Unlike "The Jetsetters" by Amanda Eyre Ward, which is the worst-rated Reese's Book Club pick so far, this title left most readers satisfied (if emotionally shattered).

Heather Harpham's memoir documents her daughter's early years, which were afflicted with a serious illness, along with the rocky relationship she had with her daughter's father during that time. As such, those with children may be particularly likely to struggle with this one. "As a parent this is a heart wrenching read!" commented one Goodreads reviewer. "Hold your babies tight. Be grateful for their health." Another reader wrote, "A powerful and heart wrenching story that touched my every emotion," adding, "This intelligently written memoir is frank, sad, uplifting and feels straight from the heart." Others noted that the book's sad themes shouldn't be confused with an emotional rollercoaster, or tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat: "The funny thing about this book: you know it ends well. But while you're reading it, it shatters your heart."

No book has a completely unanimous response, but even among the average and negative reviews of "Happiness: A Memoir," readers still confirmed that it was a tear-jerker. "This memoir is good," wrote one reviewer, who awarded the book 3.5 stars. "For me it wasn't great, but it was good and it will pull at your heart strings." 

For those on the lookout for sad reads from Reese's Book Club, a few other titles have garnered similar responses from readers. "Our Missing Hearts" by Celeste Ng is one such title. This tome is a young-adult story about a boy seeking his lost mother in dystopian America, which one Goodreads reviewer called "an emotional, beautifully written story exploring complex and timely issues." Another heart-wrenching memoir to check out is "From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home" by Tembi Locke, a reminiscence about new love halted by a cancer diagnosis, which Reese Witherspoon simultaneously calls "a heartbreaker" and "the most beautiful love story" (via Reese's Book Club).

"Happiness: A Memoir: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After" is certainly a tear-jerker, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone — even if you're looking for a book that will make you cry. So, to find the best alternatives, we scouted out other titles from Reese's Book Club with emotional plots and then filtered down our choices by also taking into account Amazon ratings and positive reviewer feedback. With this criteria in mind, "From Scratch" by Tembi Locke and "Our Missing Hearts" by Celeste Ng came out on top as our best recommendations.