The Enchanted April

The Enchanted April is a romance novel written by Elizabeth von Arnim and first published in 1922.

The novel tells the story of four women, who do not know each other, who rent a small castle in Italy to escape the cold and dreary winter in England and take a vacation.

They find the advertisement in the newspaper and fall in love with the place. Two of them, Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot, happened to belong to the same London club and after seeing the offer they decide to accept. They are later joined by Lady Caroline and Mrs. Fisher to complete the quartet.

They seek to escape their affluent and privileged lives, as well as mundane and disappointing marriages. They have different expectations of each other and what their vacation stay in Italy will be like. Although there will be some clashes at first due to the difference in expectations, they will gradually relax and enjoy the Italian surroundings and sunshine...

"It began in a Woman’s Club in London on a February afternoon—an uncomfortable club, and a miserable afternoon—when Mrs. Wilkins, who had come down from Hampstead to shop and had lunched at her club, took up The Times from the table in the smoking-room, and running her listless eye down the Agony Column saw this...".