1943: Nine-year-old Eero whose father is killed during the war is brought to Sweden to foster parents to his protection like thousands of other Finnish children. Eero feels lost, particularly as his foster mother Signe behaves very unfriendly. She was expecting a little girl and still mourns for her daughter who drowned in the sea.

It's a glowing late summer day. Karin and Mirjam are playing horse. Daddy stopped talking long ago. Mommy has a serious problem with body hair. Really serious. The Horse Man cometh, and things are about to change.