An extended Reading the Bestsellers review of a 2026 book by Kate Bowler
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Doubleday, 2026. 304 pages. $27 (ebook $5.99, hardcover $42, audio $25)
As a follower of Jesus and a survivor of late-stage cancer, Manitoba-born Duke Divinity School professor Kate Bowler often wondered if she was falling short of the joy she was supposed to feel. She felt grateful, sure. But joy? That might take deliberate cultivation.
Her new book recounts her efforts to find joy in daily life. It’s largely a memoir, but is enhanced by experiential research and interviews. It’s also infused with the sort of dry, relatable humour that will have readers nodding along, and which keeps it from feeling too trite.
For instance, one of the many lists peppered throughout the book is called “Things I Worry I Will Not Survive: An Incomplete List” and includes entries such as “Cancer. I mean, that makes sense” and “The desire to look carefree on social media. Bring back the filters. For the love of all that is blanched, bring them back.”
On a more serious note, the author points to a paradox that many readers will relate to – in the midst of absolute devastation, like a battle with cancer, moments of joy often manage to surface. And yet, when life returns to normal, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the busyness and annoyance of everyday tasks and let joy pass you by.
One of the most moving parts of the book is when Bowler writes of an element of the human condition she calls “the ache.” She says: “The ache is not a feeling so much as a question. A question that starts with ‘Will I?’ Will I ever feel completely known? Will I ever feel like it’s all enough?”
Some Christian readers might feel that they’ve already found the answers to these questions in Jesus, but others, particularly those who’ve wrestled with depression, will feel comforted knowing that another believer experiences these feelings and questions.
Bowler’s description of the ache brings to mind C.S. Lewis’s quote about the inner longing for heaven, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” A Catholic priest Bowler interviews affirms this idea, telling her “that perpetual disquiet, that inchoate feeling” is actually a God-given divine fire, a longing for Him.
Bowler’s adventures in joy-seeking are often entertaining, as when she tries paragliding or visits a lemur sanctuary. Her willingness to get out of her comfort zone will surely be inspiring to readers. But she also finds moments of joy in quieter moments, like when she is hospitalized and forms an unexpected bond with a recently widowed nurse, or when she walks with a friend dealing with heartbreak. Bowler casts a wide net for her research about how to find joy, speaking to experts in theology and psychology, but also to young kids.
This book is published by a secular publisher and written for a general audience. And yet the author is open about her faith and its importance in her life. There’s no explicit altar call or proclamation of the gospel, but there are casual references to the Bible verses or needing to pray for people in her life.
The author makes it very clear that she believes in and loves Jesus. Though evangelism is not her goal with this book, Bowler comes across as so likeable and wise that one is left wondering if her example might not make secular readers curious about what the faith has to offer.
For Christian readers, particularly those who’ve spent time in the sort of churches that encourage congregants to exude positivity, this book is an affirmation that negative emotions are normal. Just because we have been saved by Christ, doesn’t mean we will feel happy all the time. Bowler points out that when dealing with difficult circumstances, the emotionally healthy, logical response might actually be anger or grief.
But even on our darkest or most chaotic days, there can be moments of joy, if we seek them out. As Bowler writes, “Joy can be easier and easier to experience. We just have to practice.”
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