It's the week before Christmas, 1969, and an unexpected gift arrives for 15-year-old Arthur August Mallory. His namesake great uncle, a man whose existence was unknown to him until the package arrived, has sent him a remarkable gift. Because of the ancient book, this teenage boy has the power to make the world over any way he wants-but not the power to overcome the unintended consequences of his actions. Who can Mallory trust to help him discover a way to deal with the problems he has created?