Many years ago, Mr Golightly wrote a work of dramatic fiction which grew to be an international best-seller But his reputation is on the decline and he finds himself out of touch with the modern world He decides to take a holiday and comes to the ancient village of Great Calne, hoping to use the opportunity to bring his great work up to date But, he soon finds that events take over his plans and that the themes he has written on are being strangely replicated in the lives of the villagers he is staying among