"Mamma, I'm really scared! Are we in danger?" asks nine-year-old Stjarna. It is March 29, 1875 in Iceland. She has been awakened by the powerful eruption of a volcano close to home. Her parents decide to start a great adventure that will bring them to New Iceland where the Canadian government will give them a big plot of farm land. Before leaving, Stjarna's grandmother gives her ten, beautiful, white "wishing stars" to help her through the hard times ahead. On the steamship crossing the Atlantic Ocean, two tiny elves fall into Stjarna's lap. She promises to help them but they ask her to keep their presence secret for their safety. Also on this steamship, Stjarna's mean older sister meets the young man who will become her husband. Train rides and more steamboat travel finally bring them to their new farm on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg, near Gimli in Manitoba. Stjarna tackles all the tasks of building a new home with hard work and kindness, never once forgetting her promises to the elves who make their home nearby. When she almost ruins her sister's wedding dress Stjarna learns a very adult lesson - fixing mistakes sometimes means sacrificing what you hold most precious.