The Elliot family verges on financial ruin, and image-conscious patriarch Sir Walter must rent their estate to avoid bankruptcy. His daughter Anne is surprised to learn who has taken the estate: the sister of Captain Wentworth, a man whose proposal she was persuaded to refuse years before. Then, Wentworth was a poor sailor with no social standing, but he has returned a rich and eligible officer.

As they are thrown into one another's company once again, Anne's affection remains despite her lack of hope for any reconciliation. But when Wentworth begins to show signs of jealousy towards one of her suitors, she must summon the courage to seek out his true feelings. This movingly romantic adaptation of Jane Austen's last novel brings a classic story of enduring love to the stage.