Alice, a fifteen-year-old mute girl, is obsessed with words, knowing that they are beautiful and are for sharing. Manny, a sixteen-year-old boy, has a scar from his shoulder down to his elbow--a relic from his days as a child soldier. When Manny finds a poem written by Alice, he knows he must find her--and if they find each other, their relationship may bring them the beginning of love and healing.