A hospital room drama in which women talk about love, children, relationships with men, and life in general. Stories of survival are seasoned with both tears and laughter.

Construction worker Urho Suomalainen, his factory-worker wife Sirkka, and their two school-age children dream about getting away from their cramped rental apartment and moving to a house of their own. Urho decides to build one from scratch, starting from hauling trees from the forest to the sawmill. As the building progresses, a serious fault is discovered in its foundations. The family also has problems with their mortgage. Urho develops pneumonia and passes away before he sees his house completed. At his grave, a fellow worker gives a powerful speech praising socialism.

Three sailors rescue Carmen, who has fallen into the clutches of the white slave trade, and also manage to destroy a drug gang.

Schoolboy Klaus is convicted of theft and sent to prison. At his release Klaus feels that his life has changed a lot. Despite all his hardship and difficulties he keeps up his studies under the supervision of the grim Master Kahari.