Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl of Emsworth, lord and master of Blandings Castle, wants nothing more than to talk to his prize pig and potter about in his gardens. Reality intrudes in the form of family duties and his strong-willed sisters.
On the one day per year that Blandings Castle is open to the public, Lord Emsworth finds an unlikely ally in his struggles against his overbearing sister.
Bad blood between Lord Emsworth and his gardener McAllister comes to a head at exactly the wrong time.
Rupert Baxter is an efficient private secretary, almost frighteningly so, but will he prove an equal success as a private tutor?
Lord Emsworth is distraught: after 18 years, his butler Beach has resigned.
Lord Emsworth seeks to master the difficult art of hog-calling.
Can Lord Emsworth find a boyfriend for his niece Gertrude?