Kirjahaku

Yani lives is a small village with her father, mother and two sisters. The father, Gret, has had a very unsuccessful year as a hunter so the family has been considered cursed. On a day in early spring, when Yani is supposed to be gathering greens for the family, she is spotted by the old Knapper as he emerges from the forest. Her long blonde hair is flying loose as she dances round with a cloud of butterflies. Seeing her he smiles, thinking she is exactly like the daughter he imagines he would have had if life had been different. Entering the village he soon learns she is a dreamer and considered a poor daughter, one not likely to find a good life mate. As he moves through the village bartering his blades, the idea occurs to him that the father may be willing to part with her. The trade is done and the next morning Yani finds herself trudging north with the old man. She soon discovers not only adventure but a warm father-daughter love as they travel from their home on the sea in the north to the Mountains That Are Always White in the South. During their travels in a fanciful land loosely based on Europe during a quasi Stone Age, they encounter wolves, bears, and a blizzard. As the Journey progresses, Yani grows from the frightened little girl to a self reliant teen. Along the way she learns many skills to use to provide for herself.

The years have been kind to Yani in her home by the sea. Although she is alone in her house on the cliff she is never lonely. But her solitary life is soon to end. While she is working on her garden in the meadow a pinecone comes whizzing at her. Dorf, the Knapper's nephew, reenters Yani's life along with his brother Holt. As the summer ends, houses for Dami, Yani's sister, and Dorf as well as Honi and Sven are being built in the meadow. By the next summer there are two new baby boys but the weather is not kind to the budding village. The land is crackling dry. The heat has driven the fish way from the shore. The garden must be watered daily to keep it from wilting. An angry dark cloud rises above the trees. Theirs lives are all destined to change.

Now that Etta has reached twelve summers she hopes that Deet will take her with him on his winter trading journey. He has promised her this since she was a little girl. Yani also has expressed a desire to travel to the south and see the Mountains That Are Always White and visit your mother's home village once again. Will she be successful in convincing Deet this winter?

Yan had promised they would see that Cru got back to his home in the Valley before they started on their journey to the South. They had been in Gyla's village at the base of the Mountains That Are Always White through a summer, a winter and now a second summer was starting. Yani was too weak to make the long journey back to the Valley and if she couldn't go, Deet wouldn't either. He could not leave her. Therefor it was up to Etta to see that Cru got home. Deet had made sure they had a map and good directions. It should have been an easy trip in the summer but at each turn they meet obstacles.