He is not Santa Claus, and it isn't the North Pole. It's something far more grand." Mannie Candler, the 13 year-old son of a vicar in 1930s Christchurch, has suffered the loss of his vivacious Aunt Audra. While grieving, he discovers a conspiracy of friends and strangers that beckons him to escape through a passageway to an icy palace far away from the hot New Zealand winter. The wonders and rituals he finds there may completely upend his view of the world. Before the adventure is over, he may discover new purpose and the value of radical acceptance. Discover the secrets of Very North and find merriment in the midst of sorrow