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A new book, 'Beauty in the Browns,' offers a supportive Christian perspective for those living with depression.
Paul Asay has written reams, but his new book Beauty in the Browns is unlike anything he’s published before. In it, he shares the honest, practical, and occasionally humorous story of his struggle with depression. His message brings understanding support and hopeful solidarity to people dealing with depression.
A writer and entertainment critic, Asay reviews movies for Plugged In, blogs on Patheos.com, has written several books, and writes here on Aleteiatoo. Until writing Beauty in the Browns, he hadn’t shared publicly about his mental health, although he has lived with depression for decades.
“I’ve written books before, but Beauty in the Browns is something way outside my comfort zone in a lot of ways,” he said in an interview with Aleteia. “Even though I’ve dealt with depression on some level for most of my adult life, I’ve never really talked about it—with anyone—until now.”
But something changed when his son was diagnosed with depression too. He said,
The book really sprang out of the realization that my son also struggles with depression. After a really difficult time in his life, which I talk about a bit in the book, I realized that I needed to be more honest and upfront about my own struggles, and to offer him whatever bit of wisdom I might’ve picked up along the way. It was, initially, a book with an audience of one.
As he was writing, Asay realized that the book might be helpful to other people besides his son. “I thought that maybe it might help some others, too,” he said, “those who deal with depression and those who love people who do.”
Continued below.
2 Practical strategies for Christians coping with depression
Paul Asay has written reams, but his new book Beauty in the Browns is unlike anything he’s published before. In it, he shares the honest, practical, and occasionally humorous story of his struggle with depression. His message brings understanding support and hopeful solidarity to people dealing with depression.
A writer and entertainment critic, Asay reviews movies for Plugged In, blogs on Patheos.com, has written several books, and writes here on Aleteiatoo. Until writing Beauty in the Browns, he hadn’t shared publicly about his mental health, although he has lived with depression for decades.
“I’ve written books before, but Beauty in the Browns is something way outside my comfort zone in a lot of ways,” he said in an interview with Aleteia. “Even though I’ve dealt with depression on some level for most of my adult life, I’ve never really talked about it—with anyone—until now.”
But something changed when his son was diagnosed with depression too. He said,
The book really sprang out of the realization that my son also struggles with depression. After a really difficult time in his life, which I talk about a bit in the book, I realized that I needed to be more honest and upfront about my own struggles, and to offer him whatever bit of wisdom I might’ve picked up along the way. It was, initially, a book with an audience of one.
As he was writing, Asay realized that the book might be helpful to other people besides his son. “I thought that maybe it might help some others, too,” he said, “those who deal with depression and those who love people who do.”
Continued below.
2 Practical strategies for Christians coping with depression
