Max fears that his family will disapprove of his friendship with Darla, a common girl from the village outside his uncle's fortress walls. That's why they meet secretly to read together from an old book, which she has found in a dusty room near the fortress laundry where she works. They read about a lost lake and feel adventurous when they slip out of the fortress to go swimming there; but the trouble begins when they find that, in the meantime, the fortress has been sealed and they can't get back in. It's lucky that they have the book with them, to guide them through the many dangers that await them on their way back home...or perhaps it is the book that is the source of their troubles. In the end, it is the power of the friendship that Darla and Max have forged, and their courage, that see them through a series of breathtaking adventures. Written by an award-winning author and his teenage son, this book is a light read for kids aged 12 to 96.