The 2006 National Book Award for Young People's Literature

Summary: In Revolutionary Boston, a boy raised by enigmatic philosophers begins to question their true motives. As his mother, an exiled princess, captivates their household, he discovers a forbidden secret that reveals his unsettling role in their experiments. Amidst the chaos of a nation fighting for freedom, he must confront the chilling reality of his existence. What lies beyond the door he dared to open, and how will it reshape his understanding of liberty and identity? This gripping tale explores the haunting echoes of the past and the hidden truths that bind us.