Lucy Honeychurch, a young English woman, has her horizons broadened by a stimulating visit to Florence and is forced to question the merits of her homeland and the man she has pledged to marry.

At the Pensione Bertolini, Lucy meets the charming and free-spirited George Emerson. Although intrigued by George, once she's back in England, Lucy ponders settling down with the wealthy, staid Cecil Vyse. When George reappears in her life, Lucy must decide between him and Cecil.

Forster’s exquisite comedy of manners is also a hymn to the vitality and creative passion of early 20th century Florence, and its favorable comparison with a tedious, repressed England.