A man who has achieved everything most people only dream of - businesses, real estate, wealth - faces cancer. In the hospital, he takes stock of his life. Professional successes are followed by failures in personal relationships, especially in his relationship with his son.

In the same hospital, a five-year-old girl spends her time drawing, as if by doing so she can defeat the illness. She understands, of course, that this is impossible, but she continues to give courage to the adults.

On Christmas Eve, the man realizes that he can change the little girl's predetermined fate and decides to do whatever it takes to save her. To achieve this, he must first learn if his own life truly had any value; his son is the only one who can provide the answer.

With this tender story, Backman reminds us that life is an unexpected gift; what we leave behind depends on how we shared our life with those we loved.