When ice traps John MacLennan's ship in the Bering Strait in 1910, the youthful sailor, trying to widen a small fissure with dynamite, blows up his hands. He is taken by dogsled to a doctor, his captain vowing that they will wait for his safe return. But gangrene sets in, and John's hands have to be amputated. Then strong winds break the ice shelf and his ship sails off without him ...John gradually adapts to his new way of life, adopting Chukchi ways and finding friendship, and love, among his hosts. Even his role in the tragic, accidental death of his best friend, Toko, pulls him deeper into the community's folds. This is a remarkable tale of resilience and reconciliation, set in one of the most majestic and inhospitable environments on earth.