"While on a routine assignment scouting the country's dwindling natural resources, Patricia 'Patch' and her best friend, Rexx, discover a cache of dangerous contraband--printed books from before The Seclusion. These texts spark an unquenchable thirst for the truth that leads to the arrest of Patch's father by the totalitarian Board, which runs the entire country. Evading their own arrest, Patch and Rexx set out across a ruined future United States. Along the way, they learn about how their country came to be this way, but their newfound knowledge may lead to their own demise."--Page 4 of cover.