More than 800 years ago St. Francis of Assisi single-handedly altered the spiritual and political climate of his time. Today, Chasing Francis, a captivating book that examines the lessons the saint can teach contemporary Christians, has received an endorsement from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams.

“I’ve now read it twice and found it equally compelling both times. It’s a challenging, disarming, and delightful book, and the vision behind it is a serious one. It’s a remarkable book,” says Dr. Williams.

This significant endorsement carries great weight in the Episcopal Church and has sparked a renewed interest in Chasing Francis, which is a creative and compelling hybrid of fiction, theology, and historical biography. The first book by musician Ian Morgan Cron, Chasing Francis masterfully weaves actual accounts of St. Francis' radical impact on the world into the fictional story of a New England minister on a pilgrimage to regain his faith.

Listen to Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams’ address at the “Fresh Expression: Changing the Landscape” conference in which he summarizes the plot of Chasing Francis; discusses the five principles the book emphasizes for the church: transcendence, community, beauty, dignity, and meaning; and explains why he is recommending it. (Begin at minute mark 23:00.)

Best-selling author Jerusha Clark has written on a variety of topics, but her latest NavPress release tackles a difficult subject that all too many families are familiar with: postpartum depression (PPD).

Many books on PPD recently have entered the marketplace, but Jerusha's Living Beyond Postpartum Depression: Help and Hope for the Hurting Mom and Those Around Her is unique because it also is written for the friends and family of someone with a PPD condition.

“I decided to address not just the mother struggling with PPD, but also those surrounding her for two primary and interconnected reasons,” Jerusha explains. “First, it’s nearly impossible for a woman in the throes of a postpartum depression to read about her condition. Frankly, I couldn’t read anything during my battle, even Scripture, which heaped a painful weight of guilt on me.

“Secondly, the family, friends, pastors, and clinicians surrounding moms fighting against PPD are often every bit as impacted as the strugglers, though in unique and sometimes confusing ways. That’s why various chapters within the book explore how postpartum conditions—not just PPD, but all of the various manifestations of postnatal disorders—effect individuals walking alongside those who suffer.”

Jerusha is the guest on Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast June 22-23, speaking on “Wedded Bliss: Fact or Fiction?” Her 2009 NavPress release, When I Get Married…, addresses common misconceptions about marriage.

NavPress, the publishing arm of the U.S.-based Navigators, announces that it has filled an important position in its marketing department with the hiring of Tom Lathrop. In his new role as marketing manager, Tom will develop marketing plans to promote key titles to the trade and direct markets as well as be involved with project management.

Tom comes to NavPress from Word Distribution where he served for 11 years. He also has more than 19 years of experience working in and with the Christian retail industry.

"We are thrilled to have Tom join NavPress,” says Julie Langmade, NavPress director of marketing. “His background in retail sales and his attention to detail will be a great enhancement to our current marketing team."