The book follows Almustafa, a man who has waited for twelve years for a ship to take him from the island of Orphalese back to his home. He has come to know the people on the island, who consider him a wise and insightful man. On the day Almustafa’s ship finally arrives, he feels a deep sadness. The local elders ask him not to leave. Almustafa speaks of his philosophy of life and the truths he has discovered to the gathered crowd. His words have an almost magical quality to them. As he prepares to board his ship, it becomes clear that Almustafa’s words do not refer to his journey home, but rather to the world he came from before he was born.