Master Kaarlo Auer, who has achieved fame as the author of a successful novel, travels to a small town to meet Anna, the widow of his late friend Martti Vainio. Their daughter Virve Vainio finds an old calendar in the attic, in which an entry reveals literary theft.

Ahti Helpi, the pastor of a rural parish who sees himself as both a priest and a soldier, leaves for the front to continue the war. At home, his pregnant wife Lea takes care of their large family as well as the parishioners. They endure the difficult times by believing in God, home, and their fatherland.