Hot-headed Lilia is seen as nothing but a vulgar source of embarrassment to her late husband's family, so her decision to embark on a year abroad in Tuscany is welcomed by her uptight and snobbish mother-in-law. Yet Lilia doesn't stay away from scandal long; her announcement that she is to marry the charismatic but ill-bred Gino is met with horror by the rest of the family. Their union ends in tragedy and violence as her English relatives confront their Italian counterparts, as well as their own cultural values, amidst the beauty of the Tuscan countryside.