Mad Mother. Faithless Father.

Gretchen Thyrd, foster kid since birth, hides from the brittle memories of a relationship gone wrong--a life torched. Head down, but spirit unbroken, she rescues birds and the innocent to cope.

Life isn't easy, but college and adulthood beckon--the dreamed of refuge from the bleakness of her social Siberia high school.

Until she meets Hoom.

Hoom--the spirit living in the wild of her favorite park in NY city.

The perfect gentleman--trapped in a tree.

Then the unthinkable happens, and Gretchen must make a choice to bear...