National Network for Equitable Library Service

Mara’s brother Soren remembers when his name was Cole. He remembers how he used to play pirate ship with his brothers in the backyard, the taste of his mother’s soft and chewy chocolate-chip cookies, and that he rode the number eight bus to get to school. And he also remembers the night he died. On a dark and windy night, Soren tells Mara about the person who killed him before he chose to live with their family. Mara sets out to investigate her little brother’s claims of a past life and discovers that the small tidbits of memory appear to match the life of a boy who was murdered fifteen years ago. As she inserts herself deeper into the life Cole left behind, Mara’s world begins to unravel. Those who believe her are worried for her safety, and those that don’t are worried for her emotional wellbeing. Confused and frightened, Mara begins a journey deep into the heart of what it means to be alive, what it means to be dead, and everything in-between.