The novel is based on the Kwakiutl transformation narrative that centres on the belief that when the salmon are scarce, a warrior can call them back by diving into the water and turning into a salmon. Nano and her twin brother Nanolatch, children of a chief of the Kwakiutl Nation on the Northwest Coast, are about to embark on their initiation into adulthood. Nanolatch is destined to become the chief and Nano faces marriage to a boy from another nation and a life apart from her family.
The twins' father leads a war party that destroys a neighbouring village. The captive of the raid, Noh, is the daughter of a shaman, who has a strong spiritual affinity to the Spirit World and to nature. The fate of the twins and Noh converge, thus altering their lives. Together, the young people work to save the nation from becoming extinct, in spite of the predetermined positions expected by the adults. This novel takes a look at the traditional roles that society expected in the 15th century and, at the same time, is a plea for the conservation of the endangered migrating salmon.