Thirteen-year-old Benny begins hearing voices after his father's tragic death. The voices are the sounds of the objects in his house, varying from the rebellious, the sad, to the joyful. Then his mother begins to multiply the things that become more and more familiar, and Benny seeks refuge in the silence of the large public library. There he meets a captivating street artist with her swashbuckling ferret, a philosopher and a vagabond poet, and his book, which chronicles Benny's life and teaches him to listen to the things that really matter. This is a Ruth Oreki classic, blending unforgettable characters with neighbors, climate change, and our attachment to our possessions. Bold, humane, and heartbreaking, it tugs at the heartstrings and heals. It not only grips us, but compels us to think, to love, to live, to listen... Wonderful.