The story is about the history of an American family that experiences an unusual phenomenon, which they call "the pull." A family member will begin to have disturbing dreams and be visited by very unusual strangers. These are the events that coincide with the coming of the pull. The story begins with the main character, Raphael Wellington, vividly recounting one of these ominous dreams of his, which causes him to give a frightening warning to all who would read his story. After the death of their mother, Raphael and his sister, Rachael, attempt to move on with their lives by returning to their childhood home. It was during this visit that Raphael makes a profound discovery: He was not the only member of his family to have these dreams and to see the strangers. He learns that these strangers have been visiting his family for generations. Now Raphael finally realizes that the riddle of understanding the meaning of the dreams, which have plagued his family for centuries and now are causing him nightmares as well, has fallen squarely upon his shoulders to unravel. And if that wasn't already enough, he must also figure out just who are these mysterious strangers that have been visiting his ancestors for all these many years. The discovery in his mother's attic is what begins to gradually put his family's strange history together for him and sends him on an unimaginable quest to discover the never before understood secret of the important role his family has had in the shaping of American history, and the eventual role he has to play in the shaping of the future for this planet.