The Distance Between Me and The Cherry Tree: A Heartfelt Story || A Book Review

The Distance Between Me and The Cherry Tree

Author: Paola Peretti
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Released: August 9th, 2018
Genre: Children
Pages: 195
Format: Paperback
Characters: Mafalda, Estella, Filippo,…

Synopsis (Goodreads) :

A novel for all ages about a young girl losing her sight, inspired by the author’s own life story. For fans of Wonder, The Little Prince and The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly

Mafalda is a nine-year-old girl who knows one thing: some time in the next six months her sight will fail completely. Can Mafalda find a way through a seemingly dark future and still go to school, play football and look after her beloved cat? With the help of her family, and her friends, Mafalda needs to discover the things that will be important to her when her sight has failed. A moving, empowering tale of courage and determination that will inspire young and old.

My Review :

When I started reading this book, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like it. But as the story went by, I found myself falling in love with Mafalda, the main character. She was the sweetest kid ever. I loved reading this story from her perspective and viewed every single incidents that happened around her through her view. It felt so raw, naive and she is one innocent soul.

“Love is always good news, Mafalda, never forget that.”
– Paola Peretti, The Distance Between Me and The Cherry Tree.

This book was also heartwarming. It didn’t have the greatest story line but it has something special and the story was much deeper than it seemed. The values that it taught me throughout the book was priceless. I think this book is one of the books that every kid must read and I’d highly recommend it.

“The fear you feel about them makes you stop and think, and it’s only by thinking them through that people grow bigger, stronger.”
– Paola Peretti, The Distance Between Me and The Cherry Tree.

However, there was something off about the language. Some mistakes were done purposely because they were done through the dialogues of the characters but there were one or two mistakes in the book I guess? Nevertheless, it didn’t affect my reading flow because reading the story itself was a pleasure.

“To live in fear, Mafalda, is not to live at all.”
– Paola Peretti, The Distance Between Me and The Cherry Tree.

The ending was definitely heart wrenching (yes, I cried, the first one in the longest time ever) and there was nothing I would change about the ending honestly. Beautifully written, inspiring and eye opener.

Thank you Pansing for sending this book to me in exchange for an honest review.

Rating : 5/5 star!