Jumping between two consecutive summers in the present day, the story opens as baseball-loving 11-year-old Quinnen Donnelly and her parents are grieving, separately and silently, the death of Quinnen's popular older sister, Haley, nine months earlier. In a piercing first novel, Bishop introduces a family grappling with devastating loss. 'A sensitive, well-wrought novel perfect for both sports lovers and fans '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 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 'Recommend this poignant novel to fans of Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park and The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin.'- School Library Journal Winner of the Iowa Association of School Libraries Children's Choice Award With their help, can she make peace with the past and return to the pitcher’s mound? Without Haley, Quinnen’s not sure it will be any fun, but soon she befriends a few players. For the first time, Quinnen and her family are hosting one of the players for the season. The one glimmer of happiness comes from the Bandits, the local minor-league baseball team. It seems like nothing can fill the Haley-sized hole in her world. Without Haley in the stands, Quinnen doesn’t want to play baseball. Haley’s death, at the end of last summer, has left Quinnen and her parents reeling. They were headed for the championship, and her loudest supporter at every game was her best friend and older sister, Haley. Last summer, Quinnen was the star pitcher of her baseball team, the Panthers. 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.

The Distance To Home by Jenn Bishop