Although this book follows on from Full Circle, in which Ivan, in his shamanic mode, met the ancient shaman Guta of the Denisovans in their cave in the Altai Mountains of SW Siberia, this one is much later and another shaman.

Set 23,000 years ago, Ivan, in a shamanic trance, uncovers the resilience of another group of Denisovans. They journey from their biannual meeting grounds along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal, northward until they discover a new cave. When their old shaman passes away, his son Gai steps up, as foretold by the chief shaman at the Burda meeting. He leads a young group east, where they reach the Bering land bridge. As the sea encroaches, they flee to the mountains of the Yukon. Here, they bravely endure a snap ice age, the Younger Dryas, which traps them in this refuge, along with all the mega flora and fauna, for 10,000 years.

Ivan, now a qualified archaeologist, follows their path and, with his wife Dora, moves from Siberia to the Yukon, where he works as a lecturer and researcher. They live in a magnificent house restored from a disused building into an eco-friendly dwelling. They are not alone, as his friends Mikhail and Zoya become their neighbours. Sophia, the mother of his deceased mentor Sonja, was instrumental in designing the new building, which includes a granny flat where she lives close but independent.