A young boy's life changes the summer he moves in with relatives while his sick mother tries to recover.

Little Ingemar lives in 1959 Sweden with his abusive older brother and is unaware that his mother is dying. He copes with his problems by comparing his lot with those who have it worse and becomes obsessed with Laika, the Russian dog who had no control over his destiny when the Soviets sent him into space to die. As his mother gets weaker, Ingemar begins to act like a dog himself, getting down on all fours and howling at times. During the summer, Ingemar's mother is told to send her two boys away so that she can rest, and he goes to stay with his kindly aunt and uncle. Suddenly, Ingemar lives in a supportive world where he is appreciated and well-liked, and when his mother does die, he draws on his happy memories of that summer to help him through his grief.