A blazing summer in post-war England. Robert is 16, the shy, nature loving son of a miner. Before he follows his father down the pit, he sets out to explore the countryside and see a little more of the world. He gets as far as Dulcie, a hard drinking, foul-mouthed, bohemian recluse several times his age. Having mistaken him for the local vicar and accidentally shot Robert on sight, Dulcie reluctantly takes this provincial boy with small expectations in. Under her eccentric tutelage, his life opens up to rich food, poetry, girls and the possibility that there may be more to living than duty and mining. But while Dulcie's cottage and garden by the sea are idyllic, this place holds a tragic secret about Dulcie's great love. When Robert discovers the truth, his brave and tender friendship compels Dulcie to open her own heart and re-engage with the world. Their encounter is a riotous clash of experience, personality and perspective which will leave them both forever changed.