Florence Green acquires the Old House in Hardborough, a sleepy village on the east coast of England, as a future home for her bookshop. The fact that the building seems to be haunted by a poltergeist and is damp down to its foundations does not deter her from her plans, nor does her complete lack of financial knowledge. Full of enthusiasm, she throws herself into the preparations and lovingly outfits her bookshop. The residents of the small town initially greet her venture with skepticism, but soon, the first regular customers begin to appear. However, when Florence Green sells a newly released book by an unknown author, Vladimir Nabokov, the excitement grows and escalates into a scandal.