Summary

The protagonist, Bird, is a 12-year-old boy living in a dystopian version of Cambridge, Massachusetts. One day, he receives a letter from his mother. Bird's mother left their family when he was nine years old, at which point he adopted the name Noah. His father also instructs others to call him Noah, not Bird. After Bird’s mother left, his father was assigned a new job and they moved into the apartment where they now reside alone.

Bird notices that the letter has been inspected by government “PACT” officials for any content that the authorities deem dangerous. It contains drawings of cats, but no words. As Bird examines the letter, he remembers a moment when he was in fifth grade and standing on the playground with his friend Sadie, who lived with a foster family. Sadie asked him if...