Bertil "Engeln" Engelbrecht is tired of working for his half-brother's detective agency. After being released from prison his girlfriend Maggie begs him to find another job. But leaving his prior work is harder than Bertil thought.

Fia and her mother, a piano-teacher, live in the country villa with bad-tempered housekeeper Malin. One day a boy called Hampus comes to the village together with his uncle, a shoemaker.

Madicken's life on Junibacken is filled with ups and down.

In the end of 1939, the Soviet Union attacks Finland. In Sweden, 100.000 men are quickly drafted to guard the northeastern border. Men, who have almost no military training, are suddenly expected to behave as full-fledged soldiers. In one of the units we find 107 Andersson, 111 Loffe and a bunch of men with nicknames as Morsgrisen and Stora Norrland. After some months, the war in Finland is over, but World War II continues and the unit moves to the western border of Sweden, where the men have to stay for many years to come. Sweden is not at war, but some of the men are frightened that the Nazis will one day attack this country.

Bertil "Engeln" Engelbrecht is tired of working for his half-brother's detective agency. After being released from prison his girlfriend Maggie begs him to find another job. But leaving his prior work is harder than Bertil thought.