The Penderwicks are four sisters, as different as chalk from cheese, yet as close as can be The four girls and their absent-minded father head off for their summer holidays, but instead of the cosy tumbledown cottage they expect, they find themselves on a huge estate called Arundel, with magnificent gardens ripe for exploring It isn't long before they become embroiled in all sorts of scrapes with new-found friend, Jeffrey - but his mother, the icy-hearted Mrs Tifton, must be avoided at all costs Chaotic adventures ensue, and it soon becomes a summer the sisters will never forget