A gripping epic novel - #1 bestseller in Norway. A fascinating story of Norwegian culture, the harsh life of villagers and the legend of the two bells. For as long as people can remember, the bells of the stave church have rung over the lost village of Butangen in Norway. They say that sometimes they call on their own, foreshadowing trouble. Young Astrid is different from other girls in the village. She dreams of a life that doesn't just consist of marriage, having children and dying, so she has her own plan for life. But with the arrival of the young pastor Kai Schweigård, everything changes. Kai wants to demolish the old church with its images of pagan deities and supernatural bells and has already contacted the Academy of Arts in Dresden, which is sending its talented architecture student Gerhard Schönauer to Butangen. Astrid must make a decision. Does she choose her homeland and pastor, or does she face an uncertain future in Germany? Suddenly she hears the ringing of bells...