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The Distance From A to Z

 

This full-length novel by debut author Natalie Blitt is a pitch-perfect blend of Stephanie Perkins and Miranda Kenneally that proves the age-old adage: opposites attract.

 

Seventeen-year old Abby has only one goal for her summer: to make sure she is fluent in French—well, that, and to get as far away from baseball and her Cubs-obsessed family as possible. A summer of culture and language, with no sports in sight.

 

That turns out to be impossible, though, because her French partner is the exact kind of boy she was hoping to avoid. Eight weeks. 120 hours of class. 80 hours of conversation practice with someone who seems to exclusively wear baseball caps and jerseys.

 

But Zeke in French is a different person than Zeke in English. And Abby can’t help but fall for him, hard. As Abby begins to suspect that Zeke is hiding something, she has to decide if bridging the gap between the distance between who she is and who he is, is worth the risk.

Advanced praise:

 

"As delicious as a macaron, this swoon-worthy story of love and language will captivate readers and make their hearts flutter. Natalie Blitt knocks it out of the park!"

                                -- Aimee Friedman, author of Two Summers

 

 

"The Distance from A to Z is the kind of book you want to transport
yourself into because every new moment -- even the awkward ones -- comes with that special little rush to the heart. I want to be Abby. I want that
perfect roommate, and I want to learn how to say everything in French
because, yes, everything sounds better! And when I'm out of letters in the
alphabet, I want to know perfect Zeke with his perfectly imperfect shirts
and oh-so-good secret will be there waiting for me. This book is
everything you want from a YA, and it doesn't matter how old you
are -- those first big loves will always get you in the end.


-- Ginger Scott, author of This Is Falling and

Wild Reckless

 

 

"The Distance From A to Z is the perfect confection of swoony romance, humor, and spice.  It’s a smart, touching read with a ton of heart, strong characterizations, and all the feels rolled into a heart-warming debut."

-- Ann Stampler, author of Afterparty and Where It Began

 

 

"Charming, funny, and romantic, Blitt's The Distance From A to Z will have you swooning as you fall in love not only with Abby and Zeke but with the French language as well. Prepare to still be smiling long after you finish. I know I still am."

-- A.J. Pine, author of If Only and What If

 

 

“Ooh la la, j’adore this fun and romantic story about finding the perfect middle ground between where you come from and where you’re headed.”

-- Jen Malone, author of Wonderlost and

Map to the Stars

 

 

Interested in ordering?

 

The Official Announcement

Things that Make Me Happy About This Book:

I got this idea from my writer-friend Rachel who got it from Stephanie Perkins so it’s totally legit. (I love Rachel’s writing so much, can’t wait for everyone to read it. And my love for Stephanie Perkins is legendary.) Check out Rachel’s love list. And Stephanie’s.

 

So, things that I love about this book:

 

Characters who speak French to each other

A college program for high school students

A girl named Alice.

A girl named Abby.

A girl who refuses to swear except to say eff or merde.

Baseball loving family

Baseball hating main character

Baseball playing love interest

Dirty French movies (aren’t they all?)

Moleskin notebooks

The sadness of being a Cubs fan

A boy named Zeke

Amelie

Le Petit Prince

Tu me manques

Brothers

Roommates

Montreal

Druggie Park

St Viateur Bagels

Silly drunks and sad drunks

Ethnic soccer

Surprising trivia competitions

First kisses

Even better subsequent kisses

Holding hands

 

This line: “Favorite new word: chatouilleux. Ticklish. Zeke est vraiment chatouilleux. Zeke is very ticklish.”

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