A few days after his father dies, sixteen year old Andrew Gray meets his mother for the first time. Wallowing in self-pity in the comforts of his bedroom, Andrew accidentally finds a brass key with the same initials carved into it that he had seen engraved in a secret door in the house.
Using the key to unlock it, Andrew finds himself in a mystifying old study. He discovers a mysterious book with indecipherable words and strange pieces of old furniture. Andrew figures out the words are Latin and after reciting the lines he is transported to a familiar place in a different time.
Strangely, he encounters his parents when they were teenagers. They are young, carefree and totally in love. Andrew also soon discovers that someone else has made the journey with him from the present. She is his guide in his time traveling adventures.
