Twelve-year-old minuk is intrigued by the hoffs, the American missionary family that has moved into her village. Although she has seen white men before, minuk has never seen a white woman--or a white child. It soon becom...Twelve-year-old minuk is intrigued by the hoffs, the American missionary family that has moved into her village. Although she has seen white men before, minuk has never seen a white woman--or a white child. It soon becomes clear that although the hoffs can speak the yup'ik language, they don't understand yup'ik ways.