An NPR freelance correspondent Caitlin Shetterly has landed a book deal writing about her family’s struggles during the recession, perhaps offering a bit of hope to other writers grappling with the tough economy.

Shetterly (pictured, via) reported on her family’s recession struggles in a blog and in a “Recession Diary” feature for NPR’s Weekend Edition. The show followed her freelance struggles, climaxing as she moved into her mother’s house along with her husband and newborn daughter. According to Publishers Marketplace, ICM agent Kate Lee sold Shetterly’s memoir to Barbara Jones at the Voice imprint–scheduled for publication in early 2011.

Shetterly spoke about landing her book deal at one of the lowest points in her life, on NPR: “Suddenly a light appeared in the darkness. The book proposal I’d written about our journey West and back home again started to get interest from publishers. My agent set up phone meetings and then, overnight, there were offers on the table. We sold the book. That day we had $16 in our bank account and an empty fridge. Like that, our lives changed. Great, well, I just signed away our lives.”