In this beautifully illustrated children's fantasy story, two siblings struggle against sharp-edged, bedazzling foes to arrive at a place of knowing, to which they and everything belong. It's Christmas, but thirteen-year-old Maggie and her ten-year-old brother Jesse are anything but joyful. Their mother is dying, the bank is about to foreclose on their home, and very soon, everything about their lives will change. In an adventure that takes them below the earth's surface to a realm inhabited by crystalline life forms -- some of which seem to have been spawned from the children themselves -- the sister and brother discover the strength of their bond, the breadth of their courage, and the awesome power of love. Amid dazzling displays of colours and shapes, Maggie and Jesse must move through crystal planes and canyons as they do battle with King Bloo, the princes Red and Orange, and Holy Clear. Jesse learns from Princess Amethyst that the thing that scares him the most can waken him to his greatest strength. Sharing his secret with Maggie ultimately leads the two to a place of forgiveness, called home.