This episode of Big Blend Radio features prize-winning author Heather Mateus Sappenfield who discusses her new middle grade novel "The River Between Hearts" that focuses on friendship and healing.

In "The River Between Hearts" third grader Rill's father disappears, lost to a turbulent river. A year later, everyone insists he's gone, but Rill is still certain he's coming back. When Rill discovers her classmate, Perla, hiding out in Rill's tree house after Perla's family is deported, the two form an unlikely bond. Together, the girls embark on a remarkable adventure which tests their understanding of themselves, each other, and of the world around them—and opens new, unexpected doors to healing. More: https://heathermateussappenfield.com/