After the death of his wife, Jhonen Blackwell is content to pass the years of his dotage reading books while anticipating the birth of his great-grandson. When he finds an ancient book buried beneath the dust in the attic of his newly bought home, he soon becomes transfixed by the bizarre Inuit writings and rituals scrawled on the pages between its mildewed, leather-bound covers. He begins reading its dark messages, and he learns how the past can affect the future and how words have great power that can span the ages.