Shades of Light

A Novel

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 20 Aug 2019 | Archive Date 15 Nov 2019

Talking about this book? Use #ShadesOfLight #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

"I was desperate. . . . I couldn't turn off the dark thoughts, no matter how hard I tried or how much I prayed. And then I spent a whole weekend in bed, and the crying wouldn't stop, and I got really scared. I've had bouts with depression before—it's kind of a cloud I've learned to live with—but this time was different. I felt like I was going under, like I'd never feel hopeful again, and then that just made my anxiety worse and it all spiraled from there." Wren Crawford is a social worker who finds herself overwhelmed with the troubles of the world. Her lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression are starting to overcome her. She finds solace in art, spiritual formation, and pastoral care along with traditional therapeutic interventions. But a complicated relationship from her past also threatens to undo her progress. Fans of Sharon Brown's bestselling Sensible Shoes Series will be delighted to discover some old friends along the way. As Wren seeks healing in this beautifully written novel, readers are invited to move beyond pat answers and shallow theology into an experience of hope and presence that illuminates even the darkness.

"I was desperate. . . . I couldn't turn off the dark thoughts, no matter how hard I tried or how much I prayed. And then I spent a whole weekend in bed, and the crying wouldn't stop, and I got really...


Advance Praise

"This novel skillfully tackles the dark topics of depression and suicide as well as the often misguided way Christians treat mental illness. It asks the hard questions such as how one should support a loved one who deals with this disease and what to do when our best intentions are ineffective in providing help and solace. Beautiful and haunting, Shades of Light is a heart-wrenching and necessary read that ultimately offers hope."
-Elizabeth Musser, author of The Long Highway Home

"Sharon Garlough Brown uses the vulnerable, sensitive, compassionate, and creative character of Wren to sympathetically immerse the reader into her valiant struggles of coping with depression and anxiety. With Wren's deep insights into the life of Vincent van Gogh, we are invited to participate in the illuminating potential of visio divina to experience the comforting aspects of Vincent's art. Sharon succeeds in revealing what hides beneath the surface of the two wounded and kindred spirits—Wren and Vincent—namely, their compassion and their spiritual and intellectual depth. This is a book that compels us to be more compassionate and less judgmental."
-Carol A. Berry, lecturer, author of Learning from Henri Nouwen and Vincent van Gogh: A Portrait of the Compassionate Life

"Sharon Garlough Brown's Shades of Light is a rare and beautiful study in contrasts. Faith and doubt, control and surrender, acceptance and resistance—all are woven into the darks and lights of a story so real and provoking that you will find yourself aching, wondering, hoping, and even praying alongside her luminescent characters. The struggles of depression and anxiety, of parenting and being parented, of loving and losing aren't tied up in easy answers or simple narratives, but are lifted up for what they are: the beloved brokenness where God's light and love get in."
-Tara Owens, author of Embracing the Body

"Christians have not done well with the subject of mental illness. There is a great deal of stigma around the therapy process, calling people's struggles 'a lack of faith' or 'sin in their life.' This marvelous book courageously unveils the reality of psychological struggle even among people of faith, pointing us to the Jesus who keeps company with us in everything that is hard—a companion in sorrow. Thank you, Sharon, for this work that I predict will be healing to many."
-James Bryan Smith, author of The Good and Beautiful God

"In Shades of Light, Sharon Garlough Brown draws us once again into stories of faith amid suffering and hope even in the darkness. Christians face mental illness like everyone else, but too often they wrestle alone and ashamed. As we enter Wren's world of anxiety and depression, we are invited to join her muse Vincent van Gogh and the characters from the Sensible Shoes series as her 'companions in sorrow.' Sharon's unflinching and compassionate portrayal of that sacred fellowship reveals Christ himself is with us on the journey, sharing our tears and holding us in love."
-Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, author of Glittering Vices

"Shades of Light is a beautiful, moving story filled with Sharon Garlough Brown's deep, spiritual insights. As a fan of artist Vincent van Gogh, I loved how the main characters, Wren and her mother, Jamie, drew from the faith this 'companion in sorrow' as they faced the challenges of Wren's depression. Brown offers no pat answers to the questions raised by mental illness, but shows how joy and suffering are held in delicate balance through faith in the 'Man of Sorrows,' who is 'sorrowful but always rejoicing.' This is a powerful book, triumphant with hope."
-Lynn Austin, author of Legacy of Mercy

"What a consolation this novel will be for those who have known the darkness! Too often church people approach mental illness with fear, simplistic theology, and useless spiritual bromides. By telling Wren's story, Sharon Garlough Brown instead gently welcomes us into a companionship of sorrow where we can glimpse the dark beauties of grace. There's bracing truth here about the stubbornness of mental illness, the spiritual and practical implications, the helpless ache of those who love but can't fix. But there's also beauty of soul, which emerges for readers through Wren's sensitive dwelling in the paintings and writings of Vincent van Gogh. And as we learn to dwell in Wren's world, to enter that circle of sorrow, we find at the center of it the compassionate, Gethsemane presence of Christ."
-Debra Rienstra, professor of English at Calvin College, author of So Much More: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality

"Look for cameos by some of your favorite characters from the Sensible Shoes series in this quiet, honest story about the hallowing of the soul in its journey with Jesus through suffering. For anyone who has faced the darkness of depression or walked that road with a loved one, this is a beautiful, much-needed Christian vision of mental illness as both clinical (therefore treatable) and spiritual."
-Sarah Arthur, Christianity Today fiction judge, author of A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle

"This novel skillfully tackles the dark topics of depression and suicide as well as the often misguided way Christians treat mental illness. It asks the hard questions such as how one should support...


Marketing Plan

• Pre-launch media coverage in national outlets • National print and online media reviews • B&T Indie ARC mailing • National media interviews • Magazine features and op-eds • National author speaking events • Early outreach and giveaways on Goodreads and NetGalley • Librarian and educator outreach • Features at BookExpo, BookCon, and the American Library Association • Promotion on InterVarsity Press social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram • Simultaneous ebook and audiobook release • Companion study guide • Features in the InterVarsity Press newsletters • Social media promotions using #ShadesofLight • Author website: sensibleshoesclub.com

• Pre-launch media coverage in national outlets • National print and online media reviews • B&T Indie ARC mailing • National media interviews • Magazine features and op-eds • National author...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780830846580
PRICE $20.00 (USD)
PAGES 352

Average rating from 24 members


Featured Reviews

Another great read from Sharon Garlough Brown! Addressing the issue of mental illness, this book brings attention to the something that is grossly misunderstood by the Christian culture. The author does a. wonderful job showing the agony that those with anxiety and depression fight and also the heart wrenching path that their care givers experience along the way. The protagonist finds comfort in Jesus and paintings - especially those of Vincent Van Gogh. It was so interesting, I had too look up the different paintings that were mentioned throughout the book. The author did a great job with reasearch into the issue at hand and in the artist. It was nice to revisit some of the characters from "The Sensible Shoes" series- about 10 years later. This story lends itself to a potential sequel. I hope Sharon plans to write more about Wren and her journey.

Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy!

Was this review helpful?

I have personally struggled with anxiety and depression for over a decade, and for the past two decades I’ve watched my uncle fight his own demons. I first learned about his mental illness when I was 12, and by then he’d already spent years in and out of hospitals, been on and off of medications, and had tried various experimental treatments, He has been through the full gamut and struggles still.

Shades of Light introduces us to Wren Crawford—a young social worker who has devoted herself to helping those in society who can’t help themselves. But she has a personal struggle of her own—she suffers from severe anxiety and depression. She connects deeply with the work and writings of Vincent van Gogh—identifying with his feelings of compassion for humanity and active melancholy. Her recovery, however, is threatened when an old friend with his own struggles comes back into her life, needing more helps than she can give.

Brown approaches mental illness with a gentleness and sensitivity that is rare, especially in Christian circles where judgment unfortunately is all too common. It’s obvious she did extensive research in the way she was able to capture the extreme feelings of despair and loneliness.

She also depicted the way mental illness affects the family members with honesty and empathy—the caretakers suffer, too. The whole family is affected, and the anger, the sadness, the helplessness is real.

Shades of Light is a difficult book for me to review. The writing was not as polished as I usually prefer; the dialogue, especially, felt a bit choppy and stilted at times—and yet. And yet—this is a book that I think deserves to be read. It’s the first book I’ve read from a Christian perspective that goes beyond ineffectual platitudes and dangerous, shallow theology and presents an honest look at life with mental illness in light of faith and God’s grace and love.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for allowing me to read this copy. I needed this book at this time in my life. I really connected with Wren. I found so much comfort in the scriptures included in this book. It was a reminder to me to open my Bible more and pray more. I have battled depression and mite recently anxiety. I’ve recently been studying the Bible and praying more. Most of the time alone. This book has shown me that I need family, friends, and believers to help in my journey. I loved the Vincent Van Gogh art references in this story. I love how Wren compared her journey with Vincent’s journey. I’m glad that Wren found the strength to over come her battles even in the midst of losing a friend. Thank you, again. I’m ready to read more of your books. Looking forward to the sequel from this book.

Was this review helpful?

Sharon Garlough Brown deals with the difficult subject of depression with sensitivity and without cliché. Wren, the protagonist, is so real she leaps off the page and into your heart. I found this book an eye-opener for understanding the battles people face with anxiety, depression and mental illness. The reality of the writing made the book absorbing, but quite tough going at times, as we follow Wren through her struggles. The book also explores the effect Wren’s life has on her mother and family is a gentle and thoughtful way. Her writings about Van Gogh were a fascinating side-line. Another great book from the author of the Sensible Shoes series.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book on anxiety, depression, and mental illness.
I don't know that I have ever read a book written so heart-retching
on the subject. I am interested in reading more of her books. Suffering
from depression all of my life, this was an eye-opener that made me
see I'm not alone. This book will help anyone have an understanding
of what we are going through. I highly recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

For anyone who really doesn’t know anything about mental illness, this is a good book to read. The author has made the characters very relatable. I enjoyed learning more about Van Gogh and his art. I found myself looking up his artwork so I could see what the author was referring to. I would recommend this book, especially to anyone who has a friend or relative struggling with depression.

Was this review helpful?

This was a BEAUTIFUL novel that depicted the real struggle of those who have mental illness and the people who love them. The mix of emotions, faith, and wrestling with how the two intertwine was depicted here through the life of main character Wren, her troubled friend Casey and her family. I appreciated the way this book honestly wrestled with issues and didn't conclude by tying them up nearly. It was a book I resonated with deeply and would highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I devoured Shades of Light in a day - this is the first well-written Christian novel on mental health that I've read and I hope the author continues to write more books just like this. It's needed in the church!

Was this review helpful?

Shades of Light
A Novel

by Sharon Garlough Brown

InterVarsity Press

IVP Books

Christian , Religion & Spirituality

Pub Date 20 Aug 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Shades of Light through InterVarsity Press and Netgalley:

I couldn’t turn of the dark thoughts no matter how hard I prayed. I was desperate!

I spent the whole weekend in bed crying. The crying was constant, I couldn’t stop it.

I’ve dealt with bouts of depression before. A kind of dark cloud I have learned to live with. This time it was different. It felt like I was going under, I felt that I would never feel hopeful again. It only made my anxiety worse.

Wren Crawford a social worker, finds herself overwhelmed with the troubles of the world. Her lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression are starting to take over her life. She seeks solace in art, spiritual formation, and pastoral care along with traditional therapeutic interventions. But a complicated relationship from her past also threatens to undo her progress.

I give Shades of Light five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Was this review helpful?

This book offers the reader an insider’s, intimate, guided journey through the ups and downs of mental illness. Your chief tour guide on this journey is Wren, a young social worker who had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression during her high school years. Wren is a person of faith and this is her story.

As a young girl, Wren experienced change, sadness and worry. Her beloved Gran encouraged Wren to paint her feelings. Wren loved colors and that drew me to her character. She also loved beauty and was a keen observer of it.

As Wren participated in improving her mental health, she searched her memories for an underlying cause or reason for her ongoing battles with depression and anxiety. She repeatedly came up empty, and so she trudged on...with counseling, medications and learned coping mechanisms. Would she ever be healthy?

I loved reading about the recurring theme of having and needing a companion in sorrow, and then also being someone’s companion in sorrow. I loved the relationship between Kit and Wren...companions in sorrow. Each woman traveled their own separate paths and also traveled one together. I loved how expressions of creativity became declarations of worship and also impacted emotional and spiritual health.

You will explore and experience so very much while reading this beautifully written book. Heartache and hope. Brokenness and healing. Fear and courage. The illusion of control and the release of surrender. And, I dare say, that you just might acquire a greater appreciation for artists. I loved and am intrigued about all the references to Vincent Van Gogh and I fully intend to learn more about him and his story.

I love how God speaks to me through books that I enjoy so very much. He did it again! As I came to the end of this book, He reminded me once again of my favorite Bible verse.
Psalm 30:5 Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from InterVarsity Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Was this review helpful?

Shades of Light by Sharon Garlough Brown is a deeply emotional book. If you or someone you love deals with mental illness, you might be interested in this book. I think it is an important read and I applaud the publisher for taking it on. I have heard nothing but great things about this author’s other books so I was excited to pick this one up. I was not disappointed! The Scriptures and quotes used in this book really resonated with me. I have long held the belief of God’s nature that the author weaves into this book (no spoilers— you have to read it!). I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Was this review helpful?

Sharon Garlough Brown's writing is profoundly deep and rich, and her newest book, Shades of Light, delves into the delicate topic of mental illness with compassion and care. In this book, we return to Kingsbury, Michigan, the setting for her Sensible Shoes series. However, we meet a new friend named Wren, and we join her in her struggle against debilitating depression, anxiety, and crippling panic attacks. Given the dark sadness of this topic, Sharon Garlough Brown masterfully leads her readers to view those so afflicted with compassion, kindness, and understanding. Cameo appearances of Sensible Shoes characters link this book to her previous writing, and add greater depth to those characters as we see how they are doing nine years later. Shades of Light is more than a simple novel. It gives us yet again an opportunity to continue learning from our literary spiritual director.

Was this review helpful?

Mental illness is a subject near and dear to my heart, and for this reason I’m especially drawn to the life of Vincent Van Gogh. So, when I read the blurb for Shades of Light and saw that he was mentioned I was pulled in immediately. The cover art helped too; I really, really love beautiful covers, and this one is gorgeous.

The character of Wren and the issues with which she struggles are relatable to anyone who has suffered from depression, anxiety or other mental health issues. The daily struggle just to keep living—the guilt, fear, loneliness and helplessness.... The author approaches this very difficult and often misunderstood subject with grace and does a great job of explaining things in a way that should help those who have never experienced depression understand, at least a little better, those who have. Weaving anecdotes from the life of Van Gogh throughout the story was brilliant. Also, there are so many great quotes here...it’s hard to choose a favorite; I’ll definitely be sharing them on social media. This book is beautiful but bittersweet, sad but hopeful. I recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Shades of Light is a MUST READ.

I am really glad that I read Sharon Garlough Brown’s latest book, Shades of Light. I was already a fan of Brown’s earlier series, Sensible Shoes. Readers familiar with the Sensible Shoes series will recognize several characters on the periphery of this story, as well as meet beautiful new characters.

While I was so glad that I read Shades, it was difficult to read at times. Emotional health is a hard topic, and issues like depression, disorders, grief, suicide, anxiety, loneliness, sleep problems, and panic attacks were all covered. I know Wren’s story (the main character) is fiction, but stories like hers are all too real. I appreciated Brown’s careful and compassionate examination of the inner workings of these struggles, as well as the effects on relationships. Brown gives the reader an inner view of Wren’s mother's pain as she watches Wren struggle, as well as a view of Wren’s pain as she watches her best friend struggle.

I really enjoyed the weaving of Vincent Van Gogh’s story and art throughout the book. It made me curious to re-examine his work, as well as his life with greater sensitivity and compassion. I’ve added "Learning from Henri Nouwen and Vincent van Gogh: A Portrait of the Compassionate Life" by Carol Berry to my reading list.

I recommend this book as a MUST READ. Too often our faith communities have stigmatized mental health issues. Too often we have offered trite platitudes or have ignored pain and suffering. This book will give readers ideas on how to lovingly support someone that is struggling, while not sugar-coating the challenges. Each of us has friends and family members that are struggling with mental health issues. Shades of Light will inspire you to walk with these loved ones with hope, love, compassion, boundaries and kindness.

I was provided with an free copy of Shades of Light by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This book was written by Sharon Garlough Brown, who also authored the award winning Sensible Shoes series. I loved everything about those books, especially the authenticity, the deep relationships forged between characters, and the spiritual depth and awareness with which the author wrote. I was extremely excited to read another book by this author.

I applaud the author for examining the very difficult, heavy topic of mental illness. It’s certainly a topic we need to discuss more often. I believe that almost everyone has experienced, will experience, or knows someone who has experienced depression, anxiety, or mental illness at least once in their lives, meaning this book is pertinent for everyone to read.

I have suffered through times of depression and anxiety, as have many of my family members. I am always willing to talk about my experience in hopes that others won’t feel ashamed of their need for help or medication. There are some people in Christian circles, as this book briefly addresses, that would tell sufferers that they just need to have more faith and then they could be healed, or that taking medication means you are not trusting God for healing. That’s baloney. I believe Jesus can and does heal. I’m also taking medication. Medication is an answer to prayer and an avenue for healing.

I don’t want to give too much of the story away, so I will summarize it briefly. Wren, a young single woman, a social worker, cares for people deeply. She finds herself sinking under the weight of all the trauma of her clients and her own anxieties. She seeks out help, but still struggles, sometimes making good choices, and sometimes making poor choices. People who are confused in their minds don’t always make clear headed decisions. Her mother has some emotional problems, too, and seems to feel a heavy burden of guilt when she can’t always be there for her daughter. Wren feels a kinship with Vincent Van Gogh because of their shared mental suffering and love of painting. When Casey, a friend and fellow sufferer of mental illness, comes back into her life, things become even more difficult.

Brown is a master at getting in her characters’ head space. She explores their thoughts deeply in her work. I think that’s why her books are so emotionally compelling. I found this book much more depressing than her other books. I didn’t expect the heaviness of the topic. If you are looking for an escape read, this is not your book. If you are looking for an authentic story with deep characters that wrestle like we all do, this is a wonderful choice. Brown always shares the hope of knowing Christ.

There were some wonderful truths shared in relation to suffering, such as:

“Choose a sorrow that hopes instead of a sorrow that despairs.”

“If the Lord does not remove the cup of suffering, I’ve come to trust that he gives us the grace to drink it. And drinks it with us.”

If you love the depth of Brown’s other books, you will love this book too.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

What is it that makes you want to read a book? For me, two big considerations are: who has written it and what is the subject of the book? I really wanted to read “Shades of Light” firstly because of the author, Sharon Garlough Brown. I have read the first book in another series she has written, “Sensible Shoes” which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also wanted to read it because of the content. The novel is about the main character, Wren’s, struggle with anxiety and depression.

Wren is a character many will relate to as she struggles to come to terms with and manage her anxiety and depression. In this novel, Wren takes a journey – one which is physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Through her, the reader will learn to empathise and better understand someone who lives with an ongoing mental illness and will learn about the harm done by well-meaning Christians who tell the one who is suffering that they just need to pray more, or that their illness is a sign of their lack of faith or rooted in sin.

Wren needed love, acceptance and understanding which she received from two people in particular – her pastor, Hannah and her Dad’s Aunt Kit.

By the end of the novel, Wren has grown closer in her relationship with God and is able to see that: “In the place she had not chosen, in the life she must continue to choose, she was known, loved, seen and held. In all the wreckage, in every stranding, there was One who would not forsake or abandon her. No matter what. That was her hope, her testimony, her vision, her consolation.”

Another character I particularly related to was Wren’s Mother, Jamie. Jamie longs to be able to do something to help her daughter, to ease her pain, to fix her, but there is nothing she can do to make things better or easier for her daughter. As a Mum I get this, I want to be the one who is able to make things right for my children, to be the answer to their problems. But I know I can’t do this. Jamie has to deal with her own guilt and shame, feeling that she should have done things differently, that she’s to blame, and all the ‘what if’s’. Like Wren, Jamie has her own journey to make.

I was blessed and encouraged as I read this book, and God used it to speak to me and take me further on my own journey of faith and dependence on him. But to say I enjoyed it is not quite the right word for me. Mental illness is not an easy subject to address and this book can be hard reading at times, however, it was a book I wanted to keep reading because it is so well-written and throughout is the message that God is with us in our pain and that in him we can find hope despite what we may be going through. So I am glad I read it as I consider it to be a special book with an important message. For all the reasons mentioned above, it is a book I would recommend to anyone, those who struggle with mental illness, those who have a loved one who is suffering and those who want to better understand others who are suffering so they can offer them love, acceptance and understanding.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: