Olemaun is eight and knows lots of things. But she does not know how to read. To learn, she must travel to school far from her Artic home, ignoring her father's warnings. The nuns at the school take away her Inuit name and call her Margaret, They cut off her long hair and force her to do chores. Her feisty spirit draws the attention of a black-cloaked nun, who does everything in her power to make Margaret feel small. But Margaret is more determined than ever to read. .