Once upon a time the Ocean connected the islands of the North Atlantic. People sailed between Norway, Shetland, the Orkney Islands, the Hebrides, Isle of Man, Ireland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. The islands therefore share a Norse and Celtic cultural heritage.

Throughout this travelogue, author Jareg gets rid of the national borders of today. She writes about the community in the North Atlantic, and throughout the book she shares her knowledge and fascination for the oceanic area. The reader meets island inhabitants and their traditions, myths and stories, their triumphs and tragedies, which combined make the story of how nature and the ocean was responsible for shaping – and still does – life on the islands.

How do humans survive on emaciated and windswept islands? When the fog is thick, the rain whips against the windows or ferries are cancelled, it's not strange for an outsider to ponder this. However, the question might not be posed in the right way. People settled down on these remote islands in the North Atlantic precisely because they found the main three natural resources needed to survive: a rich selection of food, building materials and fuel.

Islands are communities in miniature forms. When one is surrounded by the sea as far as the eye can see, the inhabitants all become passengers on the same ship – literally – and become more or less reliant on each other. Living on an island can be claustrophobic, romantic, windy, grim, lonely, frustrating, peaceful – but very rarely boring.