Recently widowed - and desperate to escape her oppressive, upper-class English in-laws - free-spirited Lilia Herriton finds refuge in the ancient landscapes of rural Italy. There she impulsively marries the handsome Gino Carella. But when a child is born, tragedy strikes, and Lilia's scandalized relatives embark on a plot to bring her young son to England for a "proper" upbringing. Dazzling performances by its ensemble cast highlight this atmospheric, sumptuously filmed period drama from one of the greatest names in English literature.