A magical and an emotional story about a young pearl whisperer who sets out to find a cure from a powerful witch for her sister, stricken by a deadly sleep disease

Soon to turn seventeen, Nooa is the daughter of a pearl whisperer. She lives with her older sister and her mother, who has been crippled by a bear attack. They live in a cabin in Syväharju, deep in the gloomy forests. They cultivate pearls in their mussel garden, selling them to jewelers in the city. But the garden is in trouble. No new pearls have been whispered for years. Her mother has lost her ability of pearl whispering, and recently it was revealed that Nooa’s sister Midja has no gift for pearl whispering either. Their father is serving a debt sentence in the city of Paulava. Only Nooa remains.

When Midja falls ill with the deadly sleep disease, the family faces a harsh reality: she can only be cured by the most powerful witch in the Kingdom of Kernos—the Witch of Sardeesia. Nooa must venture into the great world for the first time, find the witch, and bring back the cure. Otherwise, her sister will die, their mussel garden will be doomed, and their father will never leave prison.

Together with a sly, wise toad and an enigmatic young man named Vesper who joins the journey, Nooa encounters dangers in the city and in her own heart.