Niles, an old man, lives alone in a very old and large house. It has been this way since his wife died. One day a boy appears and asks Niles to take care of a plant for him. Surprised, Niles agrees and while caring for the plant learns he had become sad and complacent. By the time the boy returns, Niles has straightened up and is ready to step out into the world. The illustrations are full page and digitally rendered with heavy use of dark colors, reinforcing the mood of the main character Niles at the beginning of the story.

The author is a Swedish writer and teacher.

Swedish. Originally published in Sweden as Huset som Vaknade by Bonnier Carlsen Bokförlag in 2017. Published in the United States by Floris Books (Stourbridge, England) in 2018.