Niklas Groundstroem

The stories of the aristocratic Lilliehjelm family, the middle-class Widing family and the poor Kajander family from the Finland's independence through the Civil War and the Roaring Twenties ending during the Second World War.

Umbra is a scientist who wants to prove his theory that human beings are ruled by chance and devoid of any purpose, and as a consequence some become evil and cruel.

In the 1860’s Alaska and Finland are simultaneously parts of the Russian Empire. A Finnish mining engineer Simon buys a Tlingit girl named Tsamo and decides to bring her to Finland. The child, Tsamo, is baptized and Simon starts to teach her European manners. Tsamo thinks she’s married to Simon and acts accordingly, but when Simon marries a lady of his own age and class, she gets confused. Simon is forced to send the girl away and the battle over Tsamo’s identity takes complicated turns.

En 1939, Karl, âgé de 13 ans, débarque sur une île perdue pour être l’apprenti du gardien de phare. L’île n’est habitée que par la famille du gardien dont le fils a le même âge que le nouvel arrivant. La relation d’abord amicale entre les deux adolescents tourne à la rivalité quand le gardien de phare donne la préférence à Karl sur son fils. Dans des extérieurs magnifiques se déroule un drame étouffant et violent.