Íso is a young Guatemalan woman working at a fertility clinic at Ixchel, in the highlands of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. She caters to the rich, northern women who visit the clinic hoping the waters of the nearby lake might increase their chances of conception. It is not long before Íso meets the charming American doctor, Eric, and a romantic affair begins that will throw her life into turmoil. A gripping and moving novel by a Giller Prize winning author.