A Must-Read
Book by
Cheslie Kryst and
April Simpkins
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By the Time You Read This is the story former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst was about to publish before her tragic suicide. Her mother, April, wraps up the narrative by exploring the mental illness and depression that took her daughter’s life.
In 2021, Cheslie began writing a book about being part of a trifecta of black women who simultaneously held titles in some of the most prestigious pageants globally.
Cheslie, while wearing the crown of Miss USA, was also a practicing attorney, licensed in two states, and a news correspondent for EXTRA.
In the first part of the book, Cheslie takes readers behind the scenes of some of her most iconic moments and sheds light on her inner battles with imposter syndrome, depression, and feelings of not being enough.
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On January 30, 2022, Cheslie died by suicide.
In her final moments, she left her mother, April Simpkins, a set of deeply personal wishes, one of them being that her book be published.
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In the wake of unimaginable loss, April took on a mission no mother should ever have to forge. While grieving her daughter and fighting to find her footing in a world that no longer made sense, she began the painful work of honoring Cheslie’s final request.
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April titled and completed the memoir, writing the final chapters herself. What followed was a two-year journey marked by rejection, perseverance, and resolve. In the second part of the book, April takes us to the day she lost her daughter and carries the reader through profound grief, the struggle to keep living, and the transformation of heartbreak into purpose as a mental health advocate.
