In the dark months of the Far North, a group of late-middle-aged women decide to meet regularly to tell stories. It is the 1920s, but they are recalling the times and people of their youth, from the late 1800s. The power of the book lies in its gentle way of delivering universal truths found in every culture: family unity, respect for others, welcoming strangers, building up the weak, overcoming difficulty, and wrestling with grief.