Young and driven, Siri Hustvedt leaves the quiet landscapes of Minnesota for the pulsating life of New York City, where the search for her first novel’s protagonist shapes a literary perspective on language, identity, the body and feminism, leading her to become one of the most compelling voices in contemporary American literature. Her encounter with Paul Auster marks a turning point for both. Against the backdrop of the city’s vibrant cultural life, the film follows Hustvedt’s distinctive way of living and thinking, weaving her writing together with life’s major themes: love and farewell.