Jonathan is 23; he and his aunt, Martha, work on their farm. Jonathan also devotes himself to looking after his father Burghardt, who has cancer. But his father stubbornly sabotages all of his son’s efforts to care for him. Jonathan finds it increasingly difficult to cope until they hire a young caretaker, Anka, to help. Jonathan and Anka fall in love; her experience of working at a hospice helps Jonathan to gain a new insight into his father’s situation.
The story takes another dramatic turn when Ron, Burghardt’s long-lost friend from his youth, re-appears — and a well-kept family secret is uncovered.