Beryl Tidy, whose life is dominated by her elderly, irascible and demanding father, works at the library and finds that it is her only escape. She has a new boss at the library, Mr Gostilow, who has just moved to the North from London. When Beryl storms out of work after an uncharacteristic fit of temper and fails to return, Gostilow visits her to find out why. Despite the idiosyncratic and often hilarious comments from Beryl's father, Gostilow succeeds in showing her that she needs and is needed by the world outside. This is a touching and gently humorous portrait of a woman's life.-1 woman, 2 men