In 1627, pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted 400 people—including a pastor, his wife, and their children—into slavery in Algiers. Here Sally Magnusson imagines what history does not record: the experience of Asta, the pastor's wife, as she faces her losses with the one thing left to her—the stories from home—and forges an ambiguous bond with the man who bought her.

"A remarkable feat of imagination…. Magnusson takes us on a journey that not only crosses continents, but encompasses tragedy and rich sensuality."—Guardian (London)