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Rich Shapero
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    • Dreams of Delphine
    • The Slide That Buried Rightful
    • Dissolve
    • Island Fruit Remedy
    • Balcony of Fog
    • Rin, Tongue and Dorner
    • Arms from the Sea
    • The Hope We Seek
    • Too Far
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    • Dreams of Delphine
    • The Slide That Buried Rightful
    • Dissolve
    • Island Fruit Remedy
    • Balcony of Fog
    • Rin, Tongue and Dorner
    • Arms from the Sea
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    • Too Far
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  • About  Too Far
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Too Far

Can a child’s boundless and desperate imagination offer an escape from a cruel reality?

On the outskirts of Fairbanks, six-year-old Robbie meets a mesmerizing girl his own age, and together they explore the mysterious woodland surrounding their homes. The world they discover is built from their fantasies, and inhabited by creatures born from their dreams.

But while Robbie and Fristeen grow inseparable, Robbie’s parents are drifting apart, and Fristeen’s mother is coming undone. As their homes become increasingly unstable, the children travel deeper and farther into their private world. The forest—and the gods who inhabit it—becomes their refuge until, at summer’s end, they are forced to choose between the crushing prospects of the real world, and the lethal demands of their ideal one.

Told as a parable, and vividly observed, Too Far is an exhilarating and heart-breaking story of an end to innocence that captures the triumphs and follies of the child’s imagination as it struggles to remain boundless and free.

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About Too Far

A Q&A with Rich Shapero
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Q: In writing Too Far, you challenged yourself to conjure your inner six-year-old.

RS: I did two drafts of the book back in 1989 and 1990. The biggest problem I encountered was trying to remember what it was like to be six. The experience of creating a fantasy world in a natural setting—that I could recall. But a lot of the other things were difficult: I couldn’t summon up a six-year-old’s language or the practical details of what a child of that age can and can’t do. Can a six-year-old make a telephone call? I realized that I couldn’t get Too Far right unless I was very close to children of that age.

When my daughter, Sky, turned six I thought, I’d better stop what I’m doing and focus on Too Far. She lived for her fantasies, and she’d cultivated friendships with friends who have that same quality. This was my chance.

She participated in character development—not just Fristeen, but most of the other characters as well, especially Shivers. She also created the title font for the book. The story couldn’t have been written without her.


Q: What makes six so special?

RS: Something crucial happens at that age. Kids are past walking and talking, the imitation phase, the age-three declaration of independence, and so on. All the mechanical systems work. But the boundaries of the self aren’t yet frozen. The child is not clear about “what’s me and what’s not me.”

At that age, a child is capable of very sophisticated conceptions, and physically capable of real exploration. A six-year-old can go long and far, both mentally and physically. But they don’t yet understand the difference between fantasy and reality. A six-year-old doesn’t understand where the self stops and the world begins.

It doesn’t last long. My daughter is in second grade now. She’s seven, and the time of serious magic is nearly over. Fantastic creatures and imaginary companions have given way to her experiences in the real world. Eighteen months ago, she could look me in the eye and tell me that she flew behind the moon.

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The Music

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The Art

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Project Cover, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 191. March 24, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 in.

Project Cover, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 191. March 24, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 in.

Album Cover, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Wand of the Genii: Hour of Enchantment. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 194. March 28, 1955. 14 7/8 x 17 in.

Album Cover, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Wand of the Genii: Hour of Enchantment. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 194. March 28, 1955. 14 7/8 x 17 in.

1. Meeting, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. February 25, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 in.

1. Meeting, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. February 25, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 in.

2. Buds on the Hill, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Wand of the Genii: Cleozome Imperalin. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 418. 14 7/8 x 17 1/8 in.

2. Buds on the Hill, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Wand of the Genii: Cleozome Imperalin. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 418. 14 7/8 x 17 1/8 in.

3. I’ve Got a Secret, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Alter to the Sun. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. March 8, 1955. 17 1/8 x 14 3/4 in.

3. I’ve Got a Secret, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Alter to the Sun. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. March 8, 1955. 17 1/8 x 14 3/4 in.

4. Perfect, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Time is Our Genii. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 352. September 29, 1955. 17 1/8 x 14 1/8 in.

4. Perfect, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Time is Our Genii. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 352. September 29, 1955. 17 1/8 x 14 1/8 in.

5. The Needles, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 516. November 26, 1956. 28 x 22 in.

5. The Needles, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 516. November 26, 1956. 28 x 22 in.

6. A Home in the Forest, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, East of the Sun-Garden of Allah. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. March 4, 1955. 17 1/8 x 14 7/8 in.

6. A Home in the Forest, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, East of the Sun-Garden of Allah. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. March 4, 1955. 17 1/8 x 14 7/8 in.

7. Climbing the Bendy, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Confusion. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. February 27, 1955. 17 x 16 1/2 in.

7. Climbing the Bendy, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Confusion. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. February 27, 1955. 17 x 16 1/2 in.

8. Joy Pouring Out, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. February 26, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 in.

8. Joy Pouring Out, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. February 26, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 in.

9. Naked and Crazy, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 635. September 12, 1957. 25 3/4 x 22 in.

9. Naked and Crazy, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 635. September 12, 1957. 25 3/4 x 22 in.

10. The Shaggy Beast, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on masonite, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 778. January 29, 1959. 23 7/8 x 23 7/8 in.

10. The Shaggy Beast, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on masonite, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 778. January 29, 1959. 23 7/8 x 23 7/8 in.

11. One Heart, One Mind, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. March 15, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 1/8 in.

11. One Heart, One Mind, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed and dated. March 15, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 1/8 in.

12. The Great Place, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 185. March 13, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 1/8 in.

12. The Great Place, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled. Oil on paperboard, signed, dated and numbered. EVB 185. March 13, 1955. 17 1/8 x 15 1/8 in.

Too Far in the TooFar Media App

The multimedia version of Too Far combines Rich’s novel with visionary artwork by Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, and music featuring enchanting vocals by Maria Taylor.

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Use your device’s camera to scan and download the TooFar Media App. Available on iOS and Android.

Acclaim for Too Far

“Full of mystical and imaginative insight.”
—Donald Pass
“Shapero displays an impressive command of the unconscious.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Shapero draws you into the phenomenology of the mind of a child . . . Heartbreaking, haunting, and numinous.”
—William Kallfelz, Goodreads
“Stunning achievement! One of the most imaginative, beautifully written books I have read in years.”
—Nancyowho, Goodreads
“Highly recommended . . . once [Shapero] gives a reason to treat his narrator as unreliable . . . I am totally up for the ride.”
—Jane Kelly, Goodreads
“[Too Far] does an excellent job of showing the journey of innocence and the inevitable loss of it.”
—Carter Phillips, Goodreads
“One of the two books I keep on my highest shelf . . . and will likely continue to hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.”
—Catherine Pain, Goodreads
“I just loved the creativity that went into this story. The character development was superb . . . one of my top-shelf books of all time.”
—Sunking, Goodreads
“Be open to this book as if you’re reading a long poem. Remember your innocence and wonder as a kid . . . That’s what this book is really about.”
—Michelle Vu, Goodreads
“Rich Shapero writes so vividly that you can really picture in your head what you’re reading . . . full of mystery and suspense as well.”
—Jozlynb, Goodreads

Download Too Far

Too Far combines novel, visual art and music to create a provocative story for the eyes, ears, and imagination.

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Get the full multimedia novel, including music and art, in the TooFar Media App.

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Rich Shapero

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Titles

  • Dreams of Delphine
  • The Slide That Buried Rightful
  • Dissolve
  • Island Fruit Remedy
  • Balcony of Fog
  • Rin, Tongue and Dorner
  • Arms from the Sea
  • The Hope We Seek
  • Too Far
  • Wild Animus

Download App

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© 2023 Rich Shapero. All rights reserved
Rich Shapero is an author, writer, and musician whose novels are available in hardcover, as ebooks (on Amazon Kindle, Apple Books and Google Books), and in the TooFar Media app for iOS and Android (on the Apple App Store and Google Play). His titles include Dreams of Delphine, The Slide That Buried Rightful, Dissolve, Island Fruit Remedy, Balcony of Fog, Rin, Tongue and Dorner, Arms from the Sea, The Hope We Seek, Too Far, and Wild Animus. Use this site to learn more about Rich Shapero and his work.
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