Stella's hopes for the Maddens may be high, but her station among them - as au pair to their irascible son Martin - is undeniable low. What could possibly have driven her to leave her home, job, and life in London for such rural ignominy? Why has she severed all contact with her parents? Why is she so reluctant to talk about her past? And who, exactly, is Edward?.

It soon becomes clear that Stella falls short of even the meager specifications her new role requires, most noticeably in the area of "aptitude for the country life." The Maddens are intimidating, their house a labyrinth of topiary and taste, their dog an uncertain ally - how can she possibly turn to them for guidance? Assailed by weather, wildlife, and the unwelcome attentions of neighboring suitors, Stella battles through the days - until all her misfortunes combine to bring about a debacle straight out of her worst nightmares..

The Country Life is a rich and subtle novel about embarrassment, awkwardness and being alone; about families, or the lack of them; and about love in some peculiar guises.