Bella Ahrenberg Benzon

The story of Juliane, a young woman who learns how to take her fate in her own hands and to trust nobody but herself. The plot is set in the Copenhagen tenements of the 1880s. Juliane is trapped in an unhappy marriage to a man who suffers extended periods of insanity. They have two children. She struggles to improve her social status, however, striving to attain the level of her two elder sisters is not easy. The great upheaval comes when she meets Otto, a smith, younger than Juliane, and in many ways her opposite. He is an ardent socialist, whereas she believes in herself. It is love at first sight when they meet and waltz on the pavement, but their passion really bursts into flame as time goes by. At last Juliane has found a man as strong-willed as she is.

Max is a programmer, Nicoline is a chef, and they are both young, in love, and ambitious. Then lightning strikes: they have a baby. From that day on, nothing is ever the same again. Max, who has just been promoted, is certain he has everything well in hand. He has just invented the LifeOrganizer interactive personal scheduler designed to make life easier. But having to endure a baby with colic, piled-up washing and missed deadlines, Max and Nicoline's bachelor lifestyle is put to the test. There are only 24 hours in a day, or are there? With many wacky smiles and lashings of gallows-humour Peter Gren Larsen depicts the stressed out situation young couples face when baby throws a spanner in your career. Max and Nicoline go through an awful lot, including a trial separation, before they accept that kids change your life.