Darryl Pickett
'He is not Santa Claus, and it isn’t the North Pole. It’s something far more mystical and grand.' On a warm December evening in 1937, thirteen-year-old New Zealander Mannie seeks a kiss from lovely Olivia Murney, and a chance to spend time with his vivacious Aunt Audra. Even the vexing presence of nine-year-old nuisance Clive doesn’t detract from the splendor of the occasion. But after a devastating family loss, Mannie discovers a world he never expected amid the fields and forests. He will soon enter a hidden passage to Very North, a distant palace buried in snow and steeped in mystery. He will meet the wise sorcerer Father Christmas, and his life will be forever changed. This unusual fantasy reveals hitherto unknown secrets about the powerful spell-caster Mother Solstice, the conspiracy of the Forest Abduction Brigade, and the proper incantation for the Seventh Moss Circle. Brave readers will uncover answers once known to just a privileged few. Make your way to the center of the labyrinth, to the surprising truth of Very North, and find joy in the face of despair.