Olle Björling

The story surrounds the conflict of interest between The Captain and his wife, Laura. The Captain is an ex-military hero and a well-respected scientist who fights with his wife about how to raise their daughter, Bertha. Both know Bertha cannot be raised in the Captain's household; however, the Captain wants her to be raised as an atheist in the city, whereas Laura wants her daughter to have a different destiny, perhaps as an artist. (en.wikipedia.org)

Helena and Sten have been together for some time, but is now starting to drift apart. Helena is expecting a baby. This sets off a chain reaction in their lives and in their circle of friends.