In a forgotten corner of a decaying tenement, ten-year-old Eli has learned two rules for survival: keep his little sister close-and never let the world see how scared he is.

Lucy is six, bright-eyed, hungry in all the ways that matter, and still brave enough to believe tomorrow can be better. By day, Eli scrounges, bargains, and fights to keep them fed. By night, he makes a different kind of promise-teaching Lucy to read by the thin beam of a flashlight, word by word, like building a shelter out of sound.

But when a single mistake draws the attention of people who profit from silence, Eli and Lucy are forced to run from the only place they've ever known. With winter closing in and trust in short supply, they'll have to decide who to believe, what to risk, and how far a brother can go to keep a sister safe.

The Least of These is a gritty, tender story of resilience, found family, and the fierce, defiant love that refuses to die-even in the dark.