▁in ▁Tr umb ull , ▁Connecticut , ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁She ▁purs ued ▁under grad uate ▁studies ▁at ▁Whe aton ▁College ▁in ▁Illinois , ▁the ▁evangel ical ▁Christian ▁school ▁that ▁also ▁counts ▁the ▁late ▁Rev . ▁Billy ▁Graham ▁among ▁its ▁notable ▁al umn i . ▁ ▁Career ▁F als ani ▁is ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁The ▁God ▁F actor : ▁Inside ▁the ▁Spirit ual ▁L ives ▁of ▁Public ▁People , ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁ 3 2 ▁spiritual ▁profiles ▁of ▁famous ▁" c ulture ▁sh apers " ▁including ▁B ono , ▁El ie ▁Wies el , ▁Anne ▁R ice , ▁H ake em ▁O la ju won . ▁F als ani ' s ▁first ▁book , ▁it ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁F arr ar , ▁Stra us ▁& ▁Gir oux ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁launch ing ▁Sarah ▁Cr icht on ▁Books , ▁a ▁new ▁im print ▁of ▁the ▁publish er . ▁It ▁was ▁named ▁among ▁the ▁best ▁non - f iction ▁books ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁by ▁the ▁Christian ▁Science ▁Mon itor . ▁ ▁F als ani ▁joined ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁paper ' s ▁religion ▁rep orter ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁continu ing ▁on ▁as ▁its ▁religion ▁column ist ▁until ▁Jan ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁She ▁wrote , ▁Sin ▁B old ly : ▁A ▁Field ▁Guide ▁For ▁Grace ▁( 2 0 0