Never That Far

Opening line:
""What you doing, girl?" Daddy said when the burying was done.

Libby is going through a hard time. Her very best friend, her grampa, just died and her daddy isn't paying any attention to her. He's caught up in his own sorrows that stem back before this new death.
That night, her grampa's spirit visits her to comfort her and tell her a few important things. The most important: "The dead ain't never that far...". He also tells her there is a treasure out at the lake on their property. Libby's adventures are about to begin with the help of her new friend Bobby. She finds peace and love and something very, very special, more special than gold bouillon.
If there is a child or parent going through the loss of a loved one, this story is a great reminder that our loved ones are always close, even if we don't see them

NEVER THAT FAR is a story of love, family and most importantly, finding a soft spot to land surrounded by a loving family, both past and present.


Thanks to netgalley and Shadow Mountain for the early read.

Loss of a loved one can oppress someone for a long time. When a young girl loses her grandfather, her best friend, she has to deal with her own grief and the oppressive melancholy of her father. Her grandfather returns in spirit form to ask her help in helping her father accept the deaths of his loved ones. A friendship with a neighbor almost derails; storms over the lake end a search for treasure; and time and again, the girl's hope and faith are just about drained.

This was good and sweet: a story of grief, family, and "the Sight."

Libby's deceased grampa appears to her and tells her that he has a left a treasure for her at the lake on their property and she needs to find it. Libby discovers that she, like her grampa and other family members, has "the Sight." While she might be able to see deceased family members, her father can't--he stubbornly refuses to believe he, she, or anyone in their family could ever have had the Sight. If Libby and her father are going to find a way to heal, she has to convince him to see.

This is a sweet story about grief, love, and healing. Carol Lynch Williams did a great job portraying a rural Florida girl and giving her an authentic voice. I'm not even sure if I believe in "the Sight," and yet, Williams totally made it seem plausible and I never doubted that Libby DID possess it. I think that suspension of disbelief (or at least, suspension of skepticism) is an indicator of Williams' talent as a writer. A sweet story, even if you don't quite believe, because it reminds you that there's stuff worth living for.

Though a little on the short side, I thought this was very well done. There wasn't a lot of time to get to know the characters, but I still felt emotionally invested in Libby's efforts to connect with her family, both living and deceased.

Thanks NetGalley and Shadow Mountain.

A book written for children, on losing a loved one. Libby has a gift, she can see members of her family who have died. Libby can't get anyone to believe that she can see those who have died. She is given a message from the other side and will do anything she can to get someone to believe her. A coming of age book for teen and middle readers.

The death of Libby's grandfather has hit particularly hard. He was her best friend. For her dad, it's devastating. He calls his family "the death family" because so many have died now - both his parents, his three brothers, his wife.
But the night of the funeral Libby's grandfather comes to visit her and tells her to go to the lake and find a treasure he left. Now it's up to Libby to not only find this treasure - whatever it is - but to help her father regain his faith.
I thought this was a lovely book of hope and restoration. I am sure some will find it too "religious" or "spiritual" but I thought it was hopeful. I do wish there had been more about the family history and the book.

Carol Lynch Williams writes Never That Far in a lovely style similar to Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia and Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie. These three works have a very special attribute in common. They are works directed, and written, for children and young readers, yet the stories have such depth and meaning that reaches readers of all ages. Rather than focusing on loss and grief, Carol Lynch Williams harnesses the power of love in Never That Far and how a person’s passing can actually bring you closer to them through all the beautiful memories shared together.

This is a very gentle read that covers a wide array of subjects for young readers to: see pain and feel love, experience loss and embrace happiness, and ultimately remember that all those we care for and love are

Never That Far.