After Happiness: Living with Faith in a Time of Crisis

by Natalie Brown Available Summer 2026 Book Description: After Happiness: Living with Faith in a Time of Crisis by Natalie Brown is a thoughtful and timely exploration of what it means to remain faithful when life no longer follows the promised script. Drawing on personal experience, scripture, and cultural analysis, Brown examines how many Latter-day Saints have inherited expectations that righteousness should lead to happiness, stability, and prosperity—only to discover that real life is often marked by disappointment, grief, and uncertainty. In this deeply reflective work, she challenges readers to reconsider easy formulas for happiness and to confront the spiritual crisis that emerges when familiar promises seem to fail. Rather than offering simplistic answers, Brown presents a richer, more resilient vision of faith—one rooted in mourning, courage, adaptation, and trust in God amid life’s upheavals. With insight and honesty, she invites readers to see suffering not as evidence of failure but as an essential part of spiritual growth and discipleship. Both intellectually engaging and emotionally resonant, After Happiness is a compelling guide for anyone seeking hope, meaning, and a deeper faith in a world where certainty has given way to complexity. About the Author: Natalie Brown is a lifelong Latter-day Saint based in Boulder, Colorado. She holds a BA from the University of Chicago, a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a PhD from Columbia University in English and Comparative Literature. She practiced law before becoming a full-time writer and parent. Her work appears in The Salt Lake Tribune, Wayfare, By Common Consent, and elsewhere. She is the editor of a critical edition of Susa Young Gates’ John Stevens’ Courtship (BCC Press, 2024). She and her husband, Michael, are the happy parents of two boys. More Information: 154 pages + Index ISBN 978-1-58958-846-2 (paperback)