The Distance to Home

For fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Rita Williams-Garcia, Jenn Bishop’s heartwarming debut is a celebration of sisterhood and summertime, and of finding the courage to get back in the game.

Last summer, Quinnen was the star pitcher of her baseball team, the Panthers. They were headed for the championship, and her loudest supporter at every game was her best friend and older sister, Haley.

This summer, everything is different. Haley’s death, at the end of last summer, has left Quinnen and her parents reeling. Without Haley in the stands, Quinnen doesn’t want to play baseball. It seems like nothing can fill the Haley-sized hole in her world. The one glimmer of happiness comes from the Bandits, the local minor-league baseball team. For the first time, Quinnen and her family are hosting one of the players for the season. Without Haley, Quinnen’s not sure it will be any fun, but soon she befriends a few players. With their help, can she make peace with the past and return to the pitcher’s mound?

Winner of the Iowa Association of School Libraries Children's Choice Award

"Recommend this poignant novel to fans of Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park and The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin."--School Library Journal

"A piercing first novel...Bishop insightfully examines the tested relationships among grieving family members and friends in a story of resilience, forgiveness, and hope."--Publishers Weekly

"With appeal to both sports- and drama-minded girls, this will make a good book club selection and pass-it-among-your-friends read."--The Bulletin

"A sensitive, well-wrought novel perfect for both sports lovers and fans
of character-driven stories."--Booklist