Intelligent tearjerker - any recommendations?

[Paddingtonblue]

I need to read a "tearjerker" of my choice for bookclub. I would rather pull all my hair out than read a Jodi Piccoult or similar, but can anyone make any recommendations? I just read Life after Life and adored it.

[MrsMcEnroe]

A Tale of Two Cities. Gah.

[AgathaHannigan]

Oh, the fault in our stars, bawled like a baby.

[Doshusallie]

YY to the jojo moyse books.

[HmmAnOxfordComma]

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell?

[HarpyFishwifeTwat]

YY to Me Before You - made me sob and truly think about the issues involved.

Revolutionary Road has some very sad parts - the first few pages had me upset.

[CustardLover]

I second the Fault in our Stars. It made my soul hurt.

Also The Other Hand by Chris Cleave. Oh godohgodohgod, I've started again just thinking about it.

[OneHolyCow]

Timbuktu by Paul Auster. I guess not for people who hate dogs but utterly jerking of tears for those who do. Sobbed. Welling up just thinking of it. Beautiful book.

[tinierclanger]

Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett? Or My Dear I Wanted To Tell You?

I love books that make me cry, will take some notes from this thread!

[eslteacher]

The Paris Wife. One of the best books I read last year and definitely the saddest. The prologue tells you directly that the relationship will fail, then you are thrown into a story of beautiful, optimistic young love that you just cant bear to believe will founder. Heartbreaking but wonderful.

[squoosh]

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. A stunning book, a heartbreaking book. Quite a depressing book.

[squoosh]

The Secret Scripture. Beautifully bleak.

[Lurleene]

A Perfectly Good Man by Patrick Gale had me in bits.

[CheckpointCharlie]

Also YY to Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

The Lovely Bones made me cry and was heartbreaking, properly.

I half want to watch this thread, but half don't!!

Oh this book made me cry a lot.

[DangoDays]

The Road by Cormac Mcarthy and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Both the parent child relationship that gets me with these.

[PeasandCucumbers]

Another vote for Wonder, I think it is the first book I have ever read in 24 hours & it has really stayed with me.

[Gremlingirl]

Another vote for My Dear I Wanted To Tell You. Fab book and made me sob like a baby.

[Caitlin17]

Ann-Marie McDonald's Fall on Your Knees and The Way the Crow Flies but be warned , she's a brilliant writer but they are seriously sad , not the "have a good greet (Scottish sense of that word) that Kate Atkinson does.

Or The Grapes of Wrath.
Atonement had me howling too.

[sprout44]

I was so looking forward to reading fall on your knees and Th way the crow flies as it got great reviews but OMG fall on your knees was just awful for me, I hated the main character I did not want to see how she would end up I never finished it. Generally I love canadin authors.
Loved the secret scripture. I will always remember it all of Sebastain Barry's books are depressing but beautiful writing.

[Glitterfeet]

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, it's a children's / young adult book but intelligent and will have you bawling.

[Cleanthatroomnow]

Room is heartbreaking but also quite uplifting in a strange sort of way. The innocence of the child is so moving.

[Ladyflip]

YY to Bel Canto, I sobbed at that book.

And Charlotte Gray made me cry, not so much Charlotte herself but Andre and Jacob.

[CheckpointCharlie]

Ooh glitterfeet someone gave me the first Patrick Ness book over the summer and I have just ordered both the next two. I will get the tissues ready!

[Glitterfeet]

CheckPoint I enjoyed his trilogy :)

A Monster calls is a very different book. It's a bit confusing because one of the books in the trilogy is called Monsters of Men!

[timtam23]

Cold Mountain (Charles Frasier) made me cry a lot, also The hand that first held mine (Maggie O'Farrell)

[nessus]

Any by Audrey Niffenegger should tick this box nicely.