January 2026 | LISLE, IL—The New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Norris has signed a second contract with IVP Formatio for the fall 2027 release of Finding God in the Desert: How Monastic Spirituality Revived My Faith.
“It is an honor to be working with Kathleen Norris on a book exploring her long journey reading the work and wisdom of the desert mothers and fathers,” said Cindy Bunch, vice president of IVP Editorial. “As always, Norris intertwines this teaching with reflection on how their work is being written into her own life. Kathleen is a writer for whom both craft and spirituality shape her work in equal parts.”
In her first book with IVP, Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love, Norris ventures into new territory, sharing an intimate portrait of her younger sister, whose life was shaped by lifelong mental and physical disabilities. Weaving her memories with Becky’s own words drawn from her letters and journals, Norris examines parts of her own story, the strength of familial bonds, the complexity of caregiving, and the myriad ways God works in our lives.
Norris said, “When Rebecca told me, ‘You should write a book about me, so I can be famous like you,’ I recognized it as a call. It’s been an honor to explore my relationship with my sister and try to present her in all her complexity.”
In Finding God in the Desert Norris returns to themes that build on her previous books as she invites readers to rediscover the works of the early monastics, men and women seeking a more honorable and fulfilling life.
Alexander Field, Norris’s agent at The Bindery, said, “Her goal in writing this book is to introduce readers to the people known as the ‘desert mothers and fathers’ of the early Christian church. She also wants to share the insights encapsulated in their sayings, a wonderful literature that has mostly been relegated to the realm of monastic studies.”
Norris writes: “It’s been a joy to demonstrate how the wisdom of these early Christians has great relevance for readers today. I talk about how their stories have been formative in my life and the lives of others. I even talk about how the trust in God demonstrated by these early monastics helped me face the Covid pandemic.”
Kathleen Norris is the award-winning poet, writer, and author of The New York Times bestselling books The Cloister Walk; Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life; Dakota: A Spiritual Geography; Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith; The Virgin of Bennington; and several volumes of poetry. Exploring the spiritual life, Norris’s work is at once intimate and historical, rich in poetry and meditations, brimming with exasperation and reverence, deeply grounded in both nature and spirit, sometimes funny, and often provocative.
Widowed in 2003, Norris now divides her time between South Dakota and Honolulu, Hawaii, where she is a member of an Episcopal church. She travels to the mainland regularly to speak to students, medical professionals, social workers, and chaplains at colleges and universities, as well as churches and teaching hospitals. For many years she was the poetry editor of Spirituality & Health magazine. She serves as an editorial adviser for the monthly Give Us This Day from Liturgical Press and writes for a weekly e-newsletter, Soul Telegram: Movies & Meaning with her friend and Irish storyteller Gareth Higgins.
Contact: Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com
