Depression is a lens through which everything looks ugly and hopeless. But in this honest, raw account of his depression, Paul Asay reminds us that no matter how much depression distorts and discolors the world, God provides hope and beauty.

JIM DALY

President, Focus on the Family

I never fathomed a book on depression could be so funny, but Paul’s Beauty in the Browns is the perfect blend of humor and heart. It’s not only an eye-opening glimpse into the life of someone struggling with depression and anxiety, but a helpful guide as to understanding how to discover hope in the midst of feelings of hopelessness.

JONATHAN MCKEE

Author of over 20 books including If I Had a Parenting Do Over

This is a book for anyone touched by depression. Those who battle depression will learn from someone who understands it on a very raw and personal level and be encouraged to be vulnerable and honest about their personal struggles. Their loved ones will develop empathy and learn how to be effective caregivers who communicate unconditional love and acceptance. And those of us who are mental health professionals will come face to face with the effects of depression on the heart and soul and be better equipped to support the client for whom depression is a familiar foe.

JOANNIE DEBRITO, PH.D., LCSW, LMFT

Director of Parenting and Youth, Focus on the Family

Paul Asay’s searching, confessional book explores the darkness and terrors many experience in their lives and families. As reported in The Gazette, the daily paper where Paul and I have covered religion, many Christians would rather avoid the whole subject of depression. For those who want to understand and love people who “live in the browns,” Paul’s humor, hope, and practical suggestions can help.

STEVE RABEY

Journalist and author

Vulnerable. Thoughtful. Personal. Paul Asay takes us to the deep unsettling waters of depression but doesn’t leave us there alone. His story lovingly confronts that happy-clappy veneer of the American church and clears space for those of us who feel the weight of darkness, depression, and mental illness, either in ourselves or in those we love. He points us to an all-knowing and all-loving God who runs to us, stoops low, and calls us beloved. Maybe it’s my Enneagram 4–ness or my own battles with depression (generational and personal) that make me love this book. Beauty in the Browns is not a breath of fresh air; it’s cross-ventilation for so many.

ERIK LØKKESMOE

President, Aspiration Entertainment

Paul Asay has written a provocative, revealing book about the subject most of us don’t want to talk about, whether it is about ourselves or about others. And why is that? Because we don’t want to be mislabeled as weak, or cowardly, or lazy, or fearful, or far from God. But those of us who have known this illness for many years can tell you it’s not a matter of fear. It is an experience of darkness and pain that is like no other.

Along comes author and writer Paul Asay to shed real light, and compassion, on the subject. And how? By revealing his own struggle with it through a lifetime. Asay talks about the immobility of depression, the desire to lie on one’s back in a bedroom, the sometimes dead end with even the best doctors and psychiatric help. So what’s the answer? It’s something practical, something personal, something attainable. Read about his life and discover what works for him.

JOHN SLOAN

Editor