Between the Lighthouse and You - by Michelle Lee (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A debut middle-grade novel about a town that can receive messages from the dead, and the young boy and girl who form an unlikely friendship to contact their lost loved ones and face their grief--perfect for fans of the New York Times-bestselling Wish by Barbara O'Connor.

Alice Jones's mother died in a boating accident. Well, that's what everyone says. Alice doesn't believe them--her mother's body was never recovered off the coast of Aviles Island, and Alice has always thought she might still be out there somewhere. Then Alice discovers that the residents of Aviles know how to communicate with loved ones who have died. If Alice can go there and try to contact her mother, she might have all the answers she needs.

For generations, Leo Mercury's family has been in charge of the Aviles Island lighthouse, and Leo himself is determined to take after his beloved grandfather and be a Lighthouse Keeper one day. When nosy Alice Jones shows up for the festival, asking questions about the tidings that outsiders shouldn't, Leo knows it's up to him to protect the island's traditions. But he starts to realize that he and Alice may actually want the same things--and together, they can believe in the impossible, even if no one else will.

Between the Lighthouse and You is an emotional, heartwarming story about love, grief, and letting go.

Review Quotes

"The alternating first-person present-tense voices of Alice and Leo provide immediacy and intimacy, while the interactions between and among their down-to-earth families add realism, making the implausible feel possible. The island lighthouse setting proves an ideal venue for otherworldly communication . . . A heartwarming, emotional tale of family, grief, and acceptance." --Kirkus Reviews

"Beautifully written and captures the agony of unresolved grief. Lee provides rich detail on the physical landscape of the island, and each chapter slowly reveals answers to Alice's many questions, leaving readers eager for more." --School Library Journal

"A heartfelt exploration of grief and familial love." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"In her first novel, Lee offers an involving, uplifting story about coming to terms with grief and finding a meaningful way to move forward." --Booklist

"the narrative's heart and energy, as well as its portrayal of the many ways one can be isolated and paralyzed by grief, feel true and meaningful." --Horn Book

About the Author

Michelle Lee loves writing books with hints of magic that make the real world sparkle. She's a professor of English, as well as an award-winning scholar, fiction writer, and poet. She earned her Master's in Creative Writing and her PhD in Literature from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives with her husband Charles and daughter Sophie in Florida where they often walk along the beach and talk about how to make their big dreams come true. Between the Lighthouse and You is her first novel.