THE WAY BETWEEN: A YOUNG ORPHAN, AN OLD

BOOK ONE OF THE AWARD-WINNING ARI ARA SERIES!
National Geographic says…“WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…kids are reading this summer. A lot… books about friendship, overcoming extreme barriers, and nonviolent fantasy (the Ari Ara Series by Rivera Sun).” - from National Geographic Kids, July 19, 2020

"...as magical as Tolkien and as authentic as Twain... this novel should be read aloud to everyone, by everyone, from childhood onward.” – Dr. Tom Hastings, Director of Peace Voice

Ari Ara was a half-wild shepherdess running the black slopes of the High Mountains when the great warrior Shulen chose her as his apprentice in the mysterious Way Between. With courage and determination, she enters a world of warriors and secrets, swords and magic, prophecy and danger. As the search for the Lost Heir propels two nations to the brink of war, Ari Ara must master this path between fight and flight before violence destroys everything she loves.

In an exciting blend of action, adventure, and fantasy, author Rivera Sun boldly takes the genre in a new direction. The Way Between combines everything we love about epic myths – courage, daring, adventure – with the skills of conflict resolution, anti-bullying, and ending violence. This novel will claim a spot on your bookshelf and a place in your heart. It’s a book for both adults and children to enjoy!

Recommended for teachers, students, anti-bullying groups, peace advocates, and youth activist groups and dedicated to old soldiers that wish for the better way… Get your copy now!

Comments From Reviewers

Rivera Sun has, once again, used her passion for nonviolence, and her talent for putting thoughts into powerful words on a page, to recreate life, to show us the possibilities that can be, if we dedicate ourselves to The Way Between. ~ Robin Wildman, Fifth Grade Teacher, Nonviolent Schools Movement, and Nonviolence Trainer

A wonderful book! It is so rare to find exciting fiction for young people and adults that shows creative solutions to conflict and challenges violence with active nonviolence and peace. Ari Ara is a delightful character and this story is a gem. ~ Heart Phoenix, River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding

A beautiful story that expands the imagination into the possibilities of peace and active nonviolence . . . this book will prepare our children and ourselves for the real-life world we so desperately need. ~ David Hartsough, Founder Nonviolent Peaceforce, author of Waging Peace

I love the book! It's a great adventure tale, with all the elements of a classic legend, and an even more important message. ~ Michael Colvin, Fellowship of Reconciliation, National Council Member

The Way Between is a compelling and wise articulation of the human sojourn . . . a dispatch from a mythic dimension of archaic longing and potential that calls us to our truest selves. ~ Ken Butigan, Pace e Bene/Campaign Nonviolence

Nonviolence is a treasure hidden right under our noses that can help solve--not just some-- all of the challenges the world is facing. Imagine the sheer wonder of making this great discovery. Rivera Sun skillfully shows us The Way. ~ Stephanie N. Van Hook, Director of the Metta Center for Nonviolence; author of Gandhi Searches for Truth: A Practical Biography for Children

The Way Between is a story that reached deep inside and literally grabbed my heart because it speaks to our common humanity. ~ Margaret Flowers, Popular Resistance

Generations of young adults will be helped to find this way in the adventures of Ari Ara; and we will all be so greatly in Rivera’s debt. ~ Michael Nagler, author of Search for a Nonviolent Future

Author/Activist Rivera Sun lives in an earthship house in Taos, New Mexico, where she grows tomatoes and bakes sourdough bread in an adobe oven. She has red hair, a twin sister, and a fondness for esoteric mystics. Everything else about her - except her writing - is perfectly ordinary.

Rivera sings the anthem of our times and rallies us to meet adversity with gusto. She is the author of five social protest novels, nine theatrical plays, three books of poetry, and a study guide to nonviolent action.

Rivera co-hosts Love and Revolution Radio, and has co-founded two nationwide nonviolent study and action groups. She was the program director for Pace e Bene/Campaign Nonviolence and holds webinars, workshops and speaks nationally on the history and power of active nonviolence. Her essays on social justice are syndicated by Peace Voice and have appeared in hundreds of newspapers and magazines.

Rivera studied strategic nonviolent civil action at the James Lawson Institute. She went to Bennington College to study writing as a Harcourt Scholar and graduated with a degree in dance. After six years working as a professional playwright, choreographer, and director in the San Francisco Bay Area, she founded the nationally touring Rising Sun Dance & Theater company. In 2010, Rivera Sun wrote and performed a trilogy of solo theater shows entitled The Freedom Stories of Lala that received coast-to-coast standing ovations.

She believes in being an embodiment of love-in-action in all that she does. A passionate participant in creating a just, sustainable, and peaceful world, she takes the responsibility of life seriously,,,and with a good dose of humor.

Her novels focus on the social issues of our times, positing creative solutions as well as muckraking through the causes of suffering. Connect with Rivera on Facebook and Twitter, or through the RiveraSun.com website. She encourages her readers to reach out, write reviews, and share their favorite quotes with others, riverasun.com