Between the Lighthouse and You

Book excerpt: 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.