What would you do if your son became a stranger overnight? Everything has fallen into place for the Aiken family. Tired of the city, Aaron and Meera relocate to the idyllic village of Little Crake along with their two children, Noah and Uma. The new cottage looks out over the many miles of woodland beyond. It’s a far cry from their cramped London apartment and the perfect fresh start. Until fifteen-year-old Noah wanders alone into the forest. For three days, a search party combs the woods. Aaron braces himself for the worst convinced his son is lost forever. Until he finds Noah alive, hiding in the hollow of a tree. It feels like a second chance. But why doesn’t Noah remember those three days in the woods? And why are there strange cuts slashed across his torso? Why did he cover himself in mud and hide away in an old oak tree? Once a studious and gentle boy, Noah becomes a troublemaker at school. He withdraws from his family, sleepwalks at night, and creates eerie sketches of Dark Valley Forest. Aaron tells himself that Noah just needs time to readjust. He’ll soon be himself again. But Meera believes otherwise. This new version of Noah is harsh and cruel—a complete stranger. A mother knows when something is wrong with her child. Aaron may be deluded, but she knows the boy who came back from the woods is not their son.