Young Karen Martin has never been more afraid in her life. Chosen for adoption by a man she has never met, she reluctantly leaves Riverside Orphanage, the only home she has ever known. When a dwarf arrives at the train station to claim her, he immediately christens her Hazel Gray, replacing a name the girl has always hated. The girls new life with a tiny bearded man called Uncle Doyen has begun, and Hazel cannot imagine the adventures that await her.

Uncle Doyen leads Hazel into the wondrous land of Clementis, where woodland creatures talk, fairies flit about, and dwarfs roam the hillsides. Before long, Hazel adjusts to her new life, but her happiness is short-lived. Evil lurks in that bright land, and Hazel must embark on a dangerous journey through Clementis where she encounters evil dwarfs, faces a treacherous elf, and has many more exciting adventures.

In this whimsical fantasy tale, a young girl searches for her purpose and true self in a strange land where she soon learns that family comes in all shapes and sizes.