A comfortable indoor life for wild mouse siblings Violet and Jobie, living in the walls of a house, comes to an end when their human cohabitants capture and release them into a nearby state park. The mice must quickly learn the basics of survival, but the learning curve is steep and the dangers (i.e., predators) are abundant. Fortunately, an aging mouse named Zolian soon takes the siblings under his wing. While Jobie finds a group of mouse friends and eventually a mate, Violet finds a like-minded curious, adventurous companion in Zolian himself. When Zolian disappears one day, Violet suspects he has gone to witness the migration of the sandhill cranes: a final adventure at the end of his days. Hitching a ride on the back of a rabbit, Violet catches up with her friend in time to share a final, majestic experience. A sophisticated, bittersweet ending sees Violet and Jobie following divergent paths. Although their sibling bond was strong, their individual identities—and fates—means their futures will be very different. Charming spot illustrations accompany an animal fantasy grounded in realistic mouse behavior yet rich in human emotion.  (Ages 7-11)