In the summer of 1984, twelve-year-old Isaac spends his days exploring the windswept beaches of Morro Bay with a new metal detector he received for his birthday. The California coast feels endless and full of secrets; and when the device leads him to a buried box in the sand, his life changes forever. Inside the ancient container lies an old, weathered leather journal signed by George Hearst, founder of the Hearst empire, along with a collection of strange maps that show a world that should not exist. The continents look familiar, yet the markings reveal lost cities, star-shaped fortresses, and forgotten coastlines. Each page seems to whisper that history is not what it seems.
Isaac shares his discovery with his group of loyal friends; a crew of curious misfits who soon find themselves caught in something far greater than a summer adventure. As they decipher the journal’s clues, they learn that powerful secret societies have hunted for the box since the late 1800s. The Freemasons and the Oddfellows, ancient rivals who once ruled from the shadows, will stop at nothing to recover its contents. Pursued by men who seem to know every step they take, Isaac and his friends are drawn into a web of hidden history stretching back to Alexander the Great and forward to a prophecy that points directly to Isaac himself.
The journal reveals a story of civilizations erased from time; castles and golden cities buried beneath American soil; technologies far beyond the reach of the nineteenth century; and a cosmic force known as the Aether that once powered a lost empire of light. The gold rush, the industrial revolution, and even the rise of the Hearst family begin to take on new meaning as the children uncover truths hidden beneath centuries of deception. Hearst’s writings describe a legendary device called the Tetragrammaton; a sacred geometric construct capable of bending reality itself. The journal claims that all miracles, from Moses parting the Red Sea to Jesus walking on water, were manifestations of this lost technology.
As the children follow the clues, they are led to Hearst Castle; a monument of opulence that hides far more than art and marble. Beneath the waves off the coast lies a secret chamber sealed by the lost masters; a chamber that holds the key to finding the Tetragrammaton. But the artifact cannot be used without consequence; it reflects the heart of whoever wields it. Those ruled by fear or greed are consumed by it, while those filled with laughter, compassion, and love may wield its creative power to heal and protect and create.
When the Freemasons close in, Isaac and his friends must rely on their wits and courage to survive. Every riddle leads them deeper into the labyrinth of history, where Nikola Tesla, Napoleon, and Columbus all play roles in the centuries-long hunt for the divine machine. As the solar eclipse approaches, the prophecy within Hearst’s journal begins to unfold; Isaac realizes he is not simply part of the story, but the very key to it.
Book of Symbols: And The Lost Journal of George Hearst is the thrilling first entry in The Tetragrammaton; a young adult adventure that weaves together mystery, science fiction, and hidden history. It captures the wonder of The Goonies, the intrigue of The Da Vinci Code, and the mythic energy of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Beneath the puzzles and chases lies a deeper message about imagination, morality, and the divine spark within every human being. Isaac’s journey becomes a timeless exploration of how the power to change the world begins within the heart; how love and laughter can conquer fear; and how the greatest treasure of all is not gold or technology, but the rediscovery of our own forgotten light.
As the first volume in a sweeping saga, Book of Symbols invites readers into a world where myth meets science, faith meets reason, and history finally reveals its hidden truth.
