Never That Far - Tapa dura

"When Libby's grandfather dies, she's lost more than her best friend; she's lost the only person in the world who understands her. Libby's father, distraught at the loss of his own Pappa, has taken to his bed, ignoring Libby's grief. Right after Grampa's funeral, Libby is woken by his spirit in the middle of the night. He tells her she has the gift of Sight and that all of her relatives who have passed on will be able to communicate with her...Libby is a likable character who is a vital part of healing her father's enormous grief as well as her own. Though the story, set in Florida in 1967, is about death and grieving, Williams presents these themes in a sweet and positive light with a focus on family and healing. A good read for historical assignments and short enough that it may be an attraction for reluctant readers. Recommend to fans of Bridge to Terabithia."-- (04/23/2018)

"Williams is an accomplished author with a polished, simple, lyrical style to her prose and authentic sounding dialect. The Florida setting, with its flat landscape, white sand, and Spanish moss, is uniquely visual....A raw and lovely account of what it's like to grieve."-- (07/16/2018)

"Williams' story of a 12-year-old girl fighting to maintain her family connections is sprinkled with a gentle dose of magical realism that is both real and magical."--Chris Crowe, bestselling author

After her grampa dies, the last place Libby expects to see him is sitting on the edge of her bed. But that’s what happens the night after the funeral.

Even more surprising is that Grampa has three important things to tell her: first, that she isn’t alone or forgotten—“The dead ain’t never that far from the liv­ing,” he says; second, that she has “the Sight”—the ability to see family mem­bers who have died; and third, that there is something special just for her in the lake. Something that could help her and her father—if she can find it.

Libby and Grampa try to help her father heal from his grief, but it will take all of Libby’s courage and her gift of Sight to convince her father that the dead are never truly gone.

Never That Far is set in the lush, rural landscape of central Florida and is a story that celebrates friendship, hope, and the power of family love.