Hans and Leena, brother and sister, born ten years apart, grow up in the countryside of Eastern Norway. Both fiercely ambitious and both wanting more from life than their birth place can offer. Hans wants to be an airline pilot and Leena wants to become a world-class pianist. They both work hard to achieve their goals; which, however, meet with little encouragement from their parents and extended family. A shotgun wedding at the age of 19 puts paid to Hans' ambition. One day he disappears without trace. Their parents move heaven and earth to find him, but to no avail. A detective, employed to track him down, returns empty handed, saying that you cannot find someone who does not want to be found, and that very likely he is out there, somewhere. Their parents take comfort in this and live out their lives hoping that one day Hans will return. Meanwhile we follow Leena from Norway to France, Italy, London, the Cayman Islands and Cuba. She appears to be a successful professional woman, although we learn little about her exact career path. Eventually we discover the truth about Hans' disappearance and catch glimpses of him over the years, forever a fugitive.