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From the bestselling author of *Little Fires Everywhere*, this deeply suspenseful and heartrending novel explores the unbreakable bond between a mother and child in a society steeped in fear. Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet life with his loving yet broken father, a former linguist now working at Harvard's library. Their existence is dictated by laws aimed at preserving "American culture" after years of economic turmoil and violence. These laws allow authorities to relocate children of dissidents, particularly those of Asian descent, while libraries remove books deemed unpatriotic, including those written by Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left when he was nine. Bird has grown up distancing himself from his mother's poetry and legacy, but a mysterious letter containing a cryptic drawing sparks his curiosity and sets him on a quest to find her. His journey reconnects him with the folktales she once shared, leads him through an underground network of librarians, and uncovers the stories of children taken from their families. Ultimately, he arrives in New York City, where an act of defiance may ignite the change needed in their world. This narrative reflects on the power and limitations of art, the lessons we pass to our children, and the resilience required to navigate a fractured society while keeping our hearts intact.
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