BJÖRK: "No one connects heart and mind more poetically than Sjón." Iceland 1918: The Spanish flu ravages the country, the Katla volcano darkens the sky, and Iceland finally gains its independence. Times of turmoil and new beginnings. In the midst of it all is Máni Steinn: without parents, without work, and to make matters worse, he cannot read or write. Poor conditions for a young man in this era. But Máni loves the cinema and finds salvation in silent films - and in the beautiful Sóla. On her motorcycle, she takes him away from the darkness and shows him that the struggle is worth it if you stay true to yourself. In a lyrical, visually powerful language, Sjón weaves together the historical with the fantastical. His new novel is also world literature.