A novel "as haunting as a dream" from the New York Times-bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Giver (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Where do dreams come from? What stealthy nighttime messengers are the guardians of our most deeply hidden hopes and our half-forgotten fears? This imaginative novel confronts these questions and explores the conflicts between the gentle bits and pieces of the past that come to life in dream, and the darker horrors that find their form in nightmare.

In a haunting story that tiptoes between reality and fantasy, two people—a lonely, sensitive woman and a damaged, angry boy—face their own histories and discover what they can be to one another, renewed by the strength that comes from a tiny, caring creature they will never see.

"Lyrical, richly descriptive prose ushers readers into a fascinating parallel world inhabited by appealingly quirky characters."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A beautiful novel with an intriguing premise."—School Library Journal (starred review)