Mattie and the blind man (Kira's father) have made a home together in Village, a place where everyone, damaged or whole, is accepted and valued. Here people have always lived in harmony and contentment, but Mattie is beginning to sense changes in attitudes. Selfishness is creeping in, and at the Trade Mart people are trading their better natures for material gain. Villagers, who were once outsiders themselves, begin to feel resentful of newcomers and want the borders closed, for the first time in Village's history shutting out people seeking help and a safe place to stay.
The Forest outside is deteriorating, too, and grows hostile to travelers just as Mattie sets out on a journey to bring Kira to her new home. It becomes clear that Forest does not want them to reach their goal.
At 142 pages this is the shortest of the four books but I think I liked this story best of the three. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all turns out in the last book, Son.
Although I found Claire's story interesting, and it was good to get answers to a lot of questions left by the other books, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others. Toward the end the characters begin to feel more like clichés than real people, and the final resolution seems almost too easy after all the struggle to get there.
Overall I quite liked this series and recommend it to anyone who finds dystopian societies intriguing.