After a long absence, the young Mary Smith has returned to Cranford, that cosy sphere of delicate gentility and elegant economy. From the newly-arrived half-pay Captain Brown (so considerate he blacks his own boots to save the maid-servant) to Miss Betsy Barker (so devoted to her Alderney cow she clothes her in warm flannel drawers), the Cranford denizens' quirks and foibles provide both amusement and comfort to Mary as she settles into the rhythms of village life. But as she absorbs and adapts to the Cranford philosophy, it seems that they may also have much to learn from her...