Twelve-year-old Silas is awoken in the dead of night by three horsemen who arrive unannounced to take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool  . . . who happens to be a ghost. But when a pony shows up at his door, Silas knows what he has to do. He will set out on a perilous journey across a vast American landscape to find his father—a journey that will ultimately connect him with his past and future, and the unfathomable mysteries of the world around him.   R.J. Palacio spins a harrowing yet distinctly beautiful tale about the power of love and the connections that bind us across the expanses of distance and time. For young readers who love the poignant depth of The Yearling or Because of Winn-Dixie, and adult fans of True Grit or the lean, searing prose of Cormac McCarthy, this is one of those rare books for readers of all ages with the makings of a modern classic.