Each student has a private reason for wanting to learn Italian. Bill Burke, a young bank clerk, wants to be considered for an international banking job, but is secretly hoping that now his spendthrift girlfriend Lizzie will have fewer opportunities to waste their money if she's busy attending an evening class. Then there's Suzy Sullivan, who can't figure out why her husband Lou wants to pick up Italian because he hasn't learned anything since he mastered reading and writing; there must be some catch, she figures. Kathy Clarke works much too hard and so she decides to join the class in an attempt to relax, but through the people she meets she learns a secret about her own family that transforms both her future and her past.

As the classes progress, we learn about each of the participants, watching their relationships grow throughout the year and culminating in a magical "viaggio" to Italy. This evocative tale shimmers with the storytelling artistry that makes Maeve Binchy's books international bestsellers.