Welcome to the official 100 Days of Sunlight website
This is where you’ll find all the bonus content for 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons. Get merch, meet the author, listen to the book’s official playlist, and more! Start exploring and have fun!
100 Days of Sunlight
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When 16-year-old poetry blogger Tessa Dickinson is involved in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days, she feels like her whole world has been turned upside-down.
Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile…and no legs.
Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition — no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can’t see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it’s the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person, not just a sob story. So he comes back. Again and again and again.
Tessa spurns Weston’s “obnoxious optimism”, convinced that he has no idea what she’s going through. But Weston knows exactly how she feels and reaches into her darkness to show her that there is more than one way to experience the world. As Tessa grows closer to Weston, she finds it harder and harder to imagine life without him — and Weston can’t imagine life without her. But he still hasn’t told her the truth, and when Tessa’s sight returns he’ll have to make the hardest decision of his life: vanish from Tessa’s world…or overcome his fear of being seen.
“100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons is a rare gem of a book, from the gorgeous cover, all the way through to the final page.”
-Advanced Reader Review
The Official Playlist
Wondering what music inspired 100 Days of Sunlight? Here’s the book’s official playlist, curated by the author (who listened to it a lot during the writing process.)
“100 Days of Sunlight is a sweet and humorous YA contemporary romance. It’s also full of great themes, including: family, hope, forgiveness, perseverance, resilience, & figuring out the qualities you already have to be grateful for, not what you wish you had.”
- Katrina J., Librarian at NDLD
Don’t miss the cozy holiday sequel to 100 Days of Sunlight!
Tessa and Weston: The Best Christmas Ever
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1,933 RATINGS
It's Tessa and Weston's first Christmas together, and Tessa is determined to make it the best holiday ever. But when her estranged mother shows up with a suitcase and plans to stay for two weeks, Tessa's hopes are shattered.
Bitter from the past and still holding a grudge, Tessa is in no mood to give her mother a second chance. The holiday season may be a time of reconciliation with family, but Tessa believes her mother will never change. Why get close when she's just going to leave again? Tessa realizes there is only one way to save this Christmas: avoid her mother as much as possible.
With the best intentions in mind, Tessa chooses to not tell her mother about Weston's disability. But when they meet face-to-face, Tessa is mortified and ashamed by her mother's insensitive remarks. Weston begins to think he is the real cause of Tessa's shame. His old demons resurrect to haunt him with doubts: What if, one day, Tessa stops loving him because of his disability?
Determined to prove his love for her, Weston makes it his mission to be the best boyfriend ever and works to reunite Tessa with her mother. Meanwhile, Tessa plots elaborate ways to avoid "mother-daughter time" at all costs. One scheme leads to another, until Tessa finds herself tangled in a web of deceit - and, worst of all, lying to Weston.
When the secrets between them force Tessa and Weston to face their greatest fears, they must confront the inescapable question: Is true love worth the risk of heartbreak? Is it ever too late to forgive and start over?
The Best Christmas Ever is a heartwarming holiday follow-up to 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons. You'll love this touching story of forgiveness, family, and first love.
Author Q&A
Some frequently asked questions about 100 Days of Sunlight, answered by the author.
Why do you write?
I write because I truly believe that words make a difference in the world. I write because I love it... but I also write because I believe the world needs more good stories – stories that uplift and inspire and encourage and shine a light in the dark places. I believe that words have a huge impact – stories have a huge impact. And if I could impact even one person’s life, I would feel incredibly fulfilled.
In 100 Days of Sunlight, Tessa greatly admires the poetry of Emily Dickinson – naturally, so do I, and one of her poems answers this question more eloquently than I can:
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.- Emily Dickinson
What inspired the characters of Tessa and Weston in 100 Days of Sunlight?
This probably isn’t a surprise to those of you who know me, but Tessa and I share a lot of the same personality traits and habits: blogger, writer, perfectionist, neat-freak, introvert, waffle-eater, book-lover… One day I was thinking about my own lifestyle and how much I use my sense of sight for everything I do: blogging, writing, making videos, reading, everything — and then I thought how different all that would be if, for some reason, I suddenly went blind. How would I respond? How would I adapt and eventually come to feel gratitude for the things I still have, instead of focusing on what I’ve lost? That’s where the whole idea for Tessa’s internal journey started.
Weston was inspired by every person who has overcome incredible challenges and limitations without losing their spirit, humor, or zest for life. People like Nick Vujicic, Rob Jones, and Travis Mills, to name a few inspiring individuals. Weston’s story was an incredible opportunity for me to explore the emotional journey of getting back up when life knocks you down. (Or, as Weston calls it, “punching Life in the face.”) With Weston, I wanted to show that even when a person seems to be all sunshine and rainbows, you don’t know how much they are struggling with fear and doubt. Life is a constant challenge of getting back up and not letting anything stand in your way.
What inspired 100 Days of Sunlight?
100 Days of Sunlight is a story that I feel has always been in my heart, I just didn’t know it until April 2017. It came to me quite literally like a lightbulb turning on. I immediately fell in love with the idea — two characters experiencing loss, recovery, and hope; two characters connecting to help each other heal in ways they wouldn’t have been able to alone. I knew it would be a love story, but not just about romantic love — it would be about the love between brothers, and grandparents, and friends.
The story captured my heart before I even knew how it would end. I knew right from the start that this novel would be my debut — I love the characters in this story and what they stand for.
What made you want to become a writer?
I fell in love with stories when I was growing up. My mom would read tons of books with me and my sister, and English was my favorite subject in school because of all the reading I had to do. I think that’s what first inspired me to become a writer – I was amazed by the way stories can transport you to another world and make you feel. It struck me as being pretty darn magical, and I immediately wanted to write stories of my own.
What is your best advice for an aspiring writer?
Story isn’t about what happens. It’s about how what happens affects and transforms the characters. < If anyone out there follows my YouTube channel, they’ve probably heard me say this a lot. In my opinion, it is the golden rule of writing. When you make everything in your story matter to your characters (given their motivations and fears) you can truly engage your reader and leave them thinking long after they turn the final page of your story. Secondly, you always have to remember why your story matters to you. Remembering your “why” will keep your passion alive through the darkest days and lead you to those gloriously satisfying words: the end.
100DOS
MERCH
“Never Been Better” Mug
“There’s Nothing You Can’t Do” T-shirt
100 Days of Sunlight artwork stickers
