Iceland, 1963. Young Hekla boards a bus to Reykjavik. She leaves her parents' home to begin a life as a writer. With her are her manuscripts and Joyce's 'Ulysses.' It's time for her to follow her destiny. She will yet manage to impress the conservative male world that sees her only as 'Miss Iceland.' She will learn the meaning of love and friendship, loneliness and belonging. She will acquire the talent to hear words and give them.

Audur Ava Olafsdottir has mastered the art of speaking vividly and powerfully about the most important questions of human independence. Her novel is like a volcanic eruption, which makes witnesses involuntarily ponder the creation of the universe.