Ben Wilson is one of the adolescent protagonists of the novel. His story is set in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in 1977. Ben begins the novel deaf in one ear, and after an accident involving lightning, he becomes completely deaf. Ben’s mother has recently died in a car accident when the novel begins, and he has never known his father. He is living with his Aunt Jenny and Uncle Steve, but he doesn’t feel at home there, despite being only a few feet from the house where he was raised. After going completely deaf, Ben decides to look for his father; he finds evidence of a man named Danny in a locket in his mother’s bedroom. The adventure brings him to New York City.

Ben is plagued by dreams of wolves, sometimes chasing him, other times watching him in the darkness. He struggles to feel like he belongs—he has no friends who understand his collection of precious objects, or his interest in space. As the novel progresses, Ben begins to feel like he belongs when he meets Jamie and explores the American Museum of Natural History. Ben is curious, persistent, and brave—despite having a hearing disability, he navigates New York City and persists until he finds his grandmother, Rose.