Told from the point of view of 11 year old Caddie and her mother Fanny who has left her husband to run off with Rob a film director. Fanny’s two younger children, Hugh and Caddie, travel to Italy to try to convince Fanny to come home. They are soon joined by Rob’s daughter Pia who also is against Fanny and Rob’s relationship.
The fantasy love life Rob and Fanny have been having is strained by the presence of their children (it does not seem either of them had been thinking much about their children and how their actions had impacted them). Some of the characters are more happy than others at the end but it isn’t really truly happy ending for anyone.