Helen Hudson is a former heiress who finds herself destitute and, after falling in love with the culture and people of Mediterranean France, decides to rough it as a waitress at the hotel she formerly stayed in. Marc Printemps is a charming pickpocket who is not very good at his job: he always gets caught, but his easygoing, charming nature gets him out of trouble. Marc meets Helen and helps her find her own way, changing himself in the process. Mathieu Piaget, Marc’s cousin, is the busybody maitre d’ of the hotel where Helen works; Mathieu dreams of becoming the manager, but always falls just short of his sharp ambition. Marienne Prudhomme is trapped in an unhappy marriage and must discover her own inner strength in order to change her circumstances. Luc Grenois is a lonely young man who just wants to leave the French Riviera. He does whatever it takes–even winding up in the French Connection being chased by the Corsican Mafia–to find freedom from the life that has been cruel to him, holding everyone at arm’s length. Luc believes himself too far gone to deserve love, but a moment of redemption could change the lives of all the characters involved.