A young boy listens to his great-grandmother's tales of Green Knowe as it used to be and, gradually, as past and present blend, he shares the strange adventures of the former inhabitants.
An explorer mouse in search of China discovers that he must be careful to choose a new home that does not offend his sense of smell, sight, hearing, taste, or touch.
When Xander travels through the portals in the King's strange house to visit Uncle Jesse as a boy, he learns that David has died and determines to do whatever it takes, and visit as many worlds as necessary, to change the future.
David King and his brother, Xander, at the urging of their uncle on his deathbed, journey through time in search of their abducted mother and on a mission to change the course of events which will lead to a bleak future.