Grady Pearson has always been different. He's an outsider, not really belonging anywhere. With an English father and American mother, he feels in-between, not sure of his place around other children. In their new home, Grady does eventually make friends, but things go terribly wrong as bullying escalates to an event that almost kills him. The childhood trauma of his pre-teen years permanently and fundamentally changes him. He begins to see enemies all around-but Grady's pain has only just begun as he soon loses his parents, his home, and the life he knew. He is forced to leave England. He travels halfway around the world to a strange, new life in Chicago surrounded by strangers. Grady now navigates an unfamiliar and sometimes hostile world. Through triumphs and trials, he journeys into adulthood. He grows and matures until he is ready to take his first step toward a bright, new life, while still haunted by past pain. Grady's is an extraordinary adventure, built on deep, abiding love-but to find that love, he must first learn to survive.