A working class teenager comes of age in 1910s rural Sweden, moving through a series of jobs and romances that gradually shape his future.
Three Scottish noblemen escape from Gripsholm Castle and break into the home of Lord Arne. They kill everyone except for Lord Arne's adopted daughter Elsalill.
The widow Anna Eva Flod at Hemsö needs help on the farm and hire the new boy Carlsson, who quickly wins the heart of Anna Eva.
