Jeremy Hagy loves horses. He’s good with them, too. In fact, that’s the reason he was hired as a horse hand at nearby Camp Meade, in Maryland. Being around the camp helps him feel more connected to his father, who has gone off to fight in the Great War, World War I. Others will go too. They are getting ready. Some are his friends now. There’s Private Benjy who has a mind full of numbers and a nose full of sneezes, and Private Frankie who has a pet mouse who lives inside his pocket. And at home, waiting to hear about his daily adventures, is his brilliant twin sister, Georgia, and their mother. Everyone in Jeremy’s world is preparing for the leaving, while hoping that the day of returning is just a whisper away.