When Jimbo Charter-Plackett asks his mother, Katherine, to come and live near him in Turnham Malpas, his kindness has rather more repercussions than he anticipated. Before long Katherine is organising the harvest festival display, and causes uproar with her high-handed ways. Worse still, she sets herself up as guardian of the villagers' morals, and spreads rumours and half-truths about her neighbours' lives. But Katherine goes too far when she organises a petition to try and rid the village of those she considers to be most at fault. Only Peter, the rector, can control Katherine's more outrageous actions. Finding it hard to resist his natural charm and diplomacy she gradually begins to mellow as the village works its magic on her ...