Things That Go Dark in the Light is a deeply human exploration of grief, injustice, and rediscovery.David Patterson, a professor reeling from the death of his wife, escapes his unraveling life in Massachusetts by accepting a nonprofit assignment in El Salvador. Immersed in a country torn by civil war, David finds himself surrounded by unforgettable characters—activists, survivors, soldiers, and strangers—and witnesses both tragedy and resistance.As he navigates unfamiliar terrain, both politically and emotionally, David confronts questions of complicity, conviction, and what it means to move forward when part of him is still anchored in the past. Through loss and connection, silence and resistance, his journey across this vividly rendered world gradually reconnects him to purpose, to people, and—quietly—to hope.

Things That Go Dark in the Light is a deeply human exploration of grief, injustice, and rediscovery.David Patterson, a professor reeling from the death of his wife, escapes his unraveling life in Massachusetts by accepting a nonprofit assignment in El Salvador. Immersed in a country torn by civil war, David finds himself surrounded by unforgettable characters—activists, survivors, soldiers, and strangers—and witnesses both tragedy and resistance.As he navigates unfamiliar terrain, both politically and emotionally, David confronts questions of complicity, conviction, and what it means to move forward when part of him is still anchored in the past. Through loss and connection, silence and resistance, his journey across this vividly rendered world gradually reconnects him to purpose, to people, and—quietly—to hope.