When the old woman who raised him in a remote village is murdered, Kriss Lemarc finds himself alone on a planet where he'll always be an outsider. His only link to his long-dead, unknown parents is the touchlyre they bequeathed him, a strange instrument that not only plays music but pours his innermost feelings into the minds of his listeners. When Tevera, a girl of the space-going, nomadic Family, hears Kriss perform, she is drawn to him against her better judgment and the rules of her people. With her help, though mistrusted and even hated by some of her comrades, Kriss seeks to discover the origin of the touchlyre, the fate of his parents, and a place where he truly belongs. But the touchlyre proves to be more than just a musical oddity. Powerful, ruthless people will stop at nothing to get it-and Kriss and Tevera are all that stand in their way.