The film takes as its theme an essay by Virginia Woolf written in 1927. In the essay Virginia Woolf talks about women writers and the psychological and social barriers to their creativity and their self-confidence. In 1977, the film’s protagonist Lily Ramsey is an aspiring writer, and an admirer of Virginia Woolf. In an attempt to complete her first novel, she takes a break from her job in London and goes home to the small seaside town where her family still lives. However, for Lily home is not simply a peaceful place to write, but part of the experience which she brings to bear on her writing.