In this rich and imaginative young-adult fantasy, author Thomas L. Blair introduces protagonist Davey Boehm, a New York lad who is unaware of his dormant magic skill. The story opens with Davey puzzling over his newest problem. Stray animals are following him around ? as if being nearsighted, insecure, and the worst athlete in seventh grade isn't enough. When he asks his mom about this oddity, she makes a vague reference to his ancestors and then hastily changes the subject. A few weeks later, his parents depart for China, sending him to stay with his aunt until they return. Thus, his extraordinary adventure in the North Carolina Mountains begins. His aunt lives in Great Oak ? to this New York teenager, a very strange place indeed. Before long, he can hardly keep up with the many challenges there. The town, once the home of his great grandparents, has succumbed to the control of a malicious family ? a family that resents his arrival.