The Future Tense of Joy
By Jessica Teich

304 pages.
June 2026

9781954600904

$26.95 | Pre-orders open now!  

A deeply moving account of love, friendship, and the complexities of memory and healing told through an intertwining story of two women grappling with their demons; one is the narrator, a mother and survivor of sexual assault in her youth, and the other, a young woman in a magazine, familiar but a stranger. For readers of Jeanette Walls, Alexandra Fuller, and anyone who has struggled to find hope on the long road to healing, and freedom in the power to forgive.

When Jessica Teich happens upon the obituary of a fellow Rhodes scholar named Lacey, she vows to unravel the truth behind the young woman’s suicide. As Lacey’s story unspools, Teich begins to detect haunting links to her own life, forcing her to reflect on her own anguished past. A tender, profoundly affecting book, The Future Tense of Joy immerses readers in the fluid shifts between past and present, as each woman struggles to free herself from the ghosts of her memory. The book defies genres to tell the stories of two talented, troubled women, each trying to reclaim her future and find strength and consolation in the embrace of the people she loves.

“‘No one was less likely to take her own life.’ That’s what her Oxford thesis advisor said. From the moment I stumbled across her obituary, late at night when I couldn’t sleep, I was captivated. This brilliant woman seemed incandescent. She was gifted and generous and beloved. Twenty-six years old, and a newlywed. Why would she decide to die?”

“Jessica Teich’s understanding of trauma is the infallible authority upon which her tale rests. But the delicacy and nuance with which she renders this story is that of a poet. This beautiful, compassionately imagined book will bring a pang of recognition to anyone who has traveled to young adulthood from a wounded adolescence via the quest for ‘perfection.’”  —MERYL STREEP  

PRAISE

 “Provocative in its questioning of what female success really means. An honest, compassionate memoir about shaking off personal demons.” 
—Kirkus Reviews 

“Teich looks at motherhood, depression, the effect of damaging relationships, and the challenges placed on successful, driven women. She does so with grace and openness, even while exploring painful parts of her past.” 
—Library Journal, starred review 

“A daring and intimate journey into the soul of motherhood. Compelling.” 
—Steve Martin

“Intoxicating and deeply immersive. This elegant book has a cinematic immediacy. It’s a page turner in the best sense of the word.” 
—Daniel Silva, #1 New York Times bestselling author 

“A dazzling debut. Teich moves immediately to the first ranks of memoirists. Her book is wry and poetic and deeply moving. This story of hope and healing will lift your heart.” 
—Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author 

“Jessica Teich takes us on a passionate and inspiring quest revealing how unresolved traumatic experiences and the societal push for performance and perfection can rob us of the joy of simply being. Within the wisdom of this tale, we gain knowledge and insight into how best to navigate, as women and men, the important challenges of the passage from childhood into adulthood to create a life of meaning and connection.” 
—Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., New York Times bestselling author 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Teich is a writer and mother, an abuse survivor, and an advocate for others who have suffered violence or sexual assault. She graduated from Yale and received an MPhil from Oxford, where she was among the first female Rhode scholars. Her previous book, Trees Make The Best Mobiles: Simple Ways To Raise Your Child In A Complex World, appeared in Vanity Fair, People, Us, and The Chicago Tribune, and was featured on the Today show. For almost a decade, Teich worked as a literary manager at the Mark Taper Forum, commissioning and developing plays. She subsequently received a grant to write and direct a movie for the Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute. Teich served as head of the Biography committee for The Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and her articles have appeared in The Nation, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and numerous other publications. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two daughters, and dog.