Half in Shadow by Gemma Liviero is an unforgettable novel about courage, love, and consequences at the dawn of World War I. In German-occupied Belgium, a tragic loss forces Josephine Descharmes to navigate dangerous new territory. By day it’s compliance, serving German officers at the Hotel Métropole. By night it’s resistance, working with her brothers underground to help Allied soldiers and civilians across the border into Holland. Both paths put her and her family at significant risk. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I highly recommend it.

Grief in the Age of COVID
The Age of COVID glides toward a new year as if it is here to stay. More reports from friends getting mild cases make me apprehensive and anxious. Would my grief have been different if COVID had not veiled it? The question is impossible, but my heart-felt instinct tells me it might have been less complicated.