When attractive, impulsive, English widow Lilia takes a holiday in Italy, she causes a scandal by marrying Gino, a dashing and highly unsuitable Italian twelve years her junior. Her prim, snobbish in-laws make no attempt to hide their disapproval, and when Lilia's decision eventually brings disaster, her English relatives embark on an expedition to face the uncouth foreigner. But when they are confronted by the beauty of Italy and the charm and vitality...

Tess is in Florence on an idyllic vacation before starting university in London. Gus is on holiday in Florence with his family after a tragedy shattered their lives. Heading to medical school in London, he's trying to be a dutiful son but longs to escape and discover who he really is. A chance meeting brings these two eighteen-year-olds together for a brief moment, the first of many times their paths will cross over the next sixteen years. As they...