The Story of Lucy Gault is a brilliant, subtle, and moving story of love, guilt, and forgiveness by the highly acclaimed author William Trevor.

The Gault family leads a life of privilege in early 1920s Ireland. However, the threat of violence forces the parents of nine-year-old Lucy to decide to leave for England, her mother's home. Lucy cannot bear the thought of leaving Lahardane, their country house with its beautiful land and nearby beach, and a dog she has befriended.

On the day before they are to leave, Lucy runs away, hoping to convince her parents to stay. Instead, she sets off a series of tragic misunderstandings that affect all of Lahardane's inhabitants for the rest of their lives.