The book is about three families in England at the beginning of the twentieth century: the Wilcoxes, who are rich capitalists with a fortune made in the Colonies; the half-German Schlegel siblings (Margaret, абюхзTibby, and Helen), who have a lot in common with the real-life Bloomsbury Group; and the Basts, a couple who are struggling members of the lower-middle class The Schlegel sisters try to help the poor Basts and try to make the Wilcoxes less prejudiced The motto of theавсхй book is "Only connect".