Reginald Morton: Chapter 7 took me by surprise. It’s one of the quieter chapters, the one where Jacob’s humor begins to surface again. After so much intensity, that moment of levity his awkward joke, his hesitant smile felt like sunlight breaking through clouds.
Jan Notzon knows something about healing that most writers miss: it’s not constant triumph. Sometimes it’s laughter sneaking back into the room.

I found myself laughing through tears, which is exactly what life feels like when grief begins to loosen its hold. The line “Even mercy can be clumsy” made me close the book for a moment. That’s truth awkward, beautiful, human.
Jan, you gave us space to breathe between the pain, and that made the pain matter even more. Thank you for writing life the way it actually unfolds imperfectly, but with grace.