From Ethan Hawke, four-time Academy Award nominee-twice for writing and twice for acting-an unforgettable fable about a father's journey and a timeless guide to life's many questions. A knight, fearing he may not return from battle, writes a letter to his children in an attempt to leave a record of all he knows. In a series of ruminations on solitude, humility, forgiveness, honesty, courage, grace, pride, and patience, he draws on the ancient teachings of Eastern and Western philosophy, and on the great spiritual and political writings of our time. His intent: to give his children a compass for a journey they will have to make alone, a short guide to what gives life meaning and beauty.

A four-time Academy Award nominee, twice for writing and twice for acting, Ethan Hawke has starred in the films Dead Poets Society, Reality Bites, Gattaca, and Training Day as well as Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise trilogy and Boyhood. He is the author of the novels The Hottest State and Ash Wednesday. He lives in Brooklyn with his four children and this book's illustrator, Ryan Hawke.