Lucy Honeychurchs well-structured, proper life begins to unravel during a trip to Florence with her prim cousin Charlotte. Amid the vibrant streets of Italy and the eccentric guests at the Pension Bertolini including the spirited novelist Eleanor Lavish and the enigmatic Mr. Emerson and his passionate son, GeorgeLucys world expands beyond the narrow confines of Edwardian convention.

Back in England, she finds herself engaged to the pompous and proper Cecil Vyse, yet haunted by the emotional awakening she experienced abroad. Caught between societal expectations and her own desires, Lucy must decide whether to embrace a life shaped by othersor to risk everything by following her heart.