The story centres on four very different ladies who reply to an advertisement in The Times for a stunning mediaeval castle that is available to rent for a month on the Italian Riviera. They travel to the serene Mediterranean coasts full of hope for a blissful retreat, seduced by the promise of “wisteria and sunlight.” As members of the same ladies’ club but complete strangers, cheerless Mrs. Arbuthnot and shy Mrs. Wilkins discover some common ground in their struggle to mend troubled marriages. In order to reduce costs, they also unwillingly recruit the widowed Mrs. Fisher and the gorgeous but aloof socialite Lady Caroline Dester. At first, there are conflicts among the group, but as the glorious spring days pass, each person gradually changes while rediscovering hope and love.