The Distance from Me to You - Hardcover

Praise for The Distance from Me to You

"A wilderness adventure dashed with romance and danger . . . readers should find it easy to relate to McKenna's desire to take risks, prove her independence, and finish the trail at all costs."--Publishers Weekly

"Gessner writes vividly of the trail and hiking . . . She brings McKenna and Sam to life as well-rounded characters, gradually building their relationship to a satisfying and realistic level. The star of the show here, however, is the Appalachian Trail and the adventures the teens experience on it.
Good romance, great wilderness."--Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will enjoy the compelling, well-paced depiction of the adventure and lore of the AT, and they will be glad to find such a tough-minded, capable heroine in a realistic novel."--BCCB

" A great add to YA collections, especially for those with a taste for the outdoors."--SLJ

"[Gessner] has created a romance and adventure tale in one."--VOYA

"This story combines adventure and romance in a great read, especially for anyone with an interest in hiking. Readers will enjoy this page-turner.."--School Library Connection

Wild meets Endless Love in this multilayered story of love, survival, and self-discovery

McKenna Berney is a lucky girl. She has a loving family and has been accepted to college for the fall. But McKenna has a different goal in mind: much to the chagrin of her parents, she defers her college acceptance to hike the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia with her best friend. And when her friend backs out, McKenna is determined to go through with the dangerous trip on her own. While on the Trail, she meets Sam. Having skipped out on an abusive dad and quit school, Sam has found a brief respite on the Trail, where everyone’s a drifter, at least temporarily.

Despite lives headed in opposite directions, McKenna and Sam fall in love on an emotionally charged journey of dizzying highs and devastating lows. When their punch-drunk love leads them off the trail, McKenna has to persevere in a way she never thought possible to beat the odds or risk both their lives.