In the early 2000s Sophie and John Williams travel to France from Britain in order to find a house for their impending retirement. After many disappointments, their French estate agent, Jean-Christophe, eventually shows them a converted barn that seems to meet all their requirements, and they decide to buy it. They are surprised to find that the adjacent house appears to be an orphanage whose manager seems to resent their presence.
At about the same time Julie Smithers, a single woman in her late thirties who has left her routine job and a troubled romance in London, moves into a renovated house in a nearby village. She has resolved to write a book and is settling down to her new way of life when a faulty faucet brings her into contact with Steve, another British expat, who is a handyman.
As all parties try to get used to their new way of life in the beautiful French countryside, Julie and Steve embark on a romance that is not without its ups and downs. Sophie and John struggle to come to terms with the French way of life, as the situation becomes increasingly ominous for them, culminating in an unexpected ending.
