The sun rises late and sets early, and even during the day there is little to do but trade tales.

She has no use for the white lies that smooth social intercourse, and she can see straight to the core of any problem.

Anna, an elderly children’s book illustrator, appears to be Katri’s opposite: a respected member of the village, if an aloof one.

Anna lives in a large empty house, venturing out in the spring to paint exquisitely detailed forest scenes.

By the time spring arrives, the two women are caught in a conflict of ideals that threatens to strip them of their most cherished illusions."