The leader of Garholt has three children who know well the precautions that must be taken to avoid Giants and Dorig. Armed with their unique psychic Gifts, two of the children have fewer fears than most people who dare to venture into the open. But Gair, the middle child, is convinced that he has no Gift and is ordinary. He knows only that he must escape the constant taunting and bullying of his cruel cousin Ondo, and he is willing to risk confronting even Giants and Dorig in order to do so.

This eerily captivating tale, told with logic and total credibility by the masterful Diana Wynne Jones, will hold readers spellbound until the very last of the many secrets of this semi-mythical world are revealed.