When disaster strikes at Great Guldberg, Johanna needs to be the strong one. She sets her own grief aside, but the burden only gets harder to bear. She begins to sway like a young pine tree in a storm, but she will not break. Her love for the farm is too deep-rooted for that to happen. Gradually Johanna starts to realize that the course she had set for herself is becoming increasingly hard to follow. In the presence of Christian, everyday life is a battle against dangerous and conflicting emotions.

Froth covered the horse’s mouth as they put the forest behind them and started the last climb up the mountain. Weathered cottages appeared in the distance. Johanna was drenched in sweat. Would he be there? Or had this horrible race been in vain? Squinting her eyes against the wind, she searched for a sign of life.