by Hannah Brown
First published 2021
Hannah Brown found herself at twenty-four with millions of people watching her every move. After years of beauty pageants, starring on The Bachelorette, and competing on Dancing with the Stars, she had achieved incredible visibility but lost sight of what she actually wanted. Brown examines her mid-twenties with brutal honesty, exploring how constant public scrutiny shaped her decisions and self-worth. She writes about her struggles with depression and anxiety during her pageant years, moments when her faith wavered and how she reclaimed it on national television, and her journey toward thinking critically about her own goals rather than seeking approval from others. Through therapy and journaling, Brown learned to embrace the messiness of self-discovery, even when it meant falling flat on her face. This quarter-life memoir speaks directly to young women facing similar challenges, offering insight from someone who navigated critical developmental years under intense public examination. Brown demonstrates how true growth emerges from the darkest, messiest moments and how self-acceptance can bloom through strife.
Genres: mental-health, self-help, autobiography, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, self-acceptance
277 pages · Hardcover · Harper
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness