"A marine biologist finds herself stranded in the Arctic while humanity is ending. In a near future, a young French-Canadian biologist is making a name for herself by recreating marine ecosystems--a process that will ultimately save them. In honour of her work, she is invited to participate in an Arctic expedition along with scientists from around the globe. While they are gone, humanity is almost entirely eliminated by a virus. Alone on the open sea, the exiled survivors experience these events with a forced detachment. During this, the biologist looks back on her life, jumping between the larger history of the world and the smaller story of her own family, as she tells the story of life itself, in all its forms"-- Provided by publisher.