Sophie Apperly's family are fiercely academic and see her practical skills as frivolous - whilst constantly taking advantage of her. So an invitation to stay with her best friend Milly, in New York, is eagerly accepted. Whilst leaving her ungrateful family behind, America holds the key to solving her family's financial woes. She arrives ready for adventure and meets Matilda, a spirited old lady, who invites her to Connecticut for Thanksgiving - to the dismay of Matilda's grandson Luke. Attractive but arrogant, he seems to doubt Sophie's motives for befriending Matilda. When his grandmother gets her way, Luke proposes that he'll help Sophie in her quest to save her family from financial ruin if she repays the favour. But what must she do in return?