Set in Prague during the years leading up to World War II, this family saga tells the story of a cobbler named Vincenc Bursik (Vladimir Mensik), who uproots his clan from the country to the city, only to suffer the loss of his wife and the failure of his shoe business within months. When his daughter moves away to go live with a wealthy businessman as his mistress, Vincenc is left to take care of his two sons, who spend their days in a secret garden vying for the affections of a teenage girl.

After her parents' divorce, Petra lives in her mother's new harmonious family in a small town. However, she feels that she was cheated of a lot when she was unable to spend two years in Cuba with her own father. Therefore, she welcomes her father's offer to move to Prague with him. She is especially attracted by his promise to help her get into art school. However, she misses the warm family atmosphere in Prague very much, even though her father's new wife tries to understand her. Although her father provided for her materially, he did not really care for her. Petra's crisis is compounded by a negative opinion from an expert about her artistic talent...

A little boy, named Prdelka, traveled with his father from Prague to the country during the Second World War. There, the boy became friends with a local fisherman and learned to catch the golden eels. Eventually, his father and mother were arrested by the Nazis and the boy stayed with the fisherman.