Brandished teapots. Runaway chickens. Emergency Ladies' Aid Society meetings. Contrary to the suppositions of supercilious city visitors, there's always something afoot for the Merriweather family and the other inhabitants of the small town of Ferbury. Sofia Merriweather, reputedly the most sensible one, has never lacked fodder for her budding literary endeavors. Sent to an aunt in England on account of her indecent behavior (she chased a would-be suitor off the lawn yelling unutterable Shakespearean threats), Sofia may find that at last she's no match for the foreign and ever-genial Mr. Mueller.