How to Be Both is a novel that unfolds in two interwoven narratives, presented in different orders depending on the edition. One thread follows George, a contemporary teenager grieving the loss of her mother, as she navigates memory, art, and the lingering presence of absence in her daily life. Her story reflects a search for meaning in the wake of loss, shaped by her relationship with her mother and the things left behind.

The other narrative centers on Francesco del Cossa, a Renaissance painter whose life and work are reimagined with fluidity across time and identity. Moving between historical context and a more imaginative perspective, this section explores art, gender, and the act of creation, blurring the boundaries between past and present.

As the two strands echo and inform one another, the novel examines how stories, images, and lives can exist simultaneously across time. How to Be Both is a meditation on duality, perception, and connection, where grief and creativity intersect, and where understanding emerges through the interplay of different ways of seeing.

A NOTE TO THE READER:
Who says stories reach everybody in the same order?

This novel can be read in two ways and this book provides you with both. In half of all printed editions of the novel, the narrative EYES comes before CAMERA. In the other half of printed editions, the narrative CAMERA precedes EYES. The narratives are exactly the same in both versions, just in a different order. The books are intentionally printed in two different ways, so that readers can randomly have different experiences reading the same text.

So, depending on which edition you happen to receive, the book will be: EYES, CAMERA, or CAMERA, EYES. Enjoy the adventure.