My older daughter had bought me HOLY UNHAPPINESS for Christmas after I'd pointed out a couple items in our bookstore, and I lucked out by talking it up with our small group so that it was chosen as our spring read.

Amanda Held Opelt lays out the foundation that while many Christians might easily object to the prosperity gospel, we often buy into an emotional prosperity gospel, subconsciously believing that if we live and act in the "right" ways, all will go well for us. She explores this through the lens of parenthood, work, marriage, community, suffering, and more, with a blessing closing out each section.

This was a welcome gift (in all the meanings of the word), being the perfect book for me to read with loved ones in a time of uncertainty. Certain phrases have entered into regular repetition in our home (exhaustion is not a sign of failure, the work can have value even if the ground is cursed, etc) as these mantras try to ground us. 

Opelt is around my age and has faced her own losses keenly, so I knew I could trust her words and welcome her perspective. I'm grateful that my friends found this to be true for them as well.