It is 1947 and Paris is recovering from the war. As soon as they arrive, Colette's mother abandon her (yet again), leaving her with her bossy grandmother and her older brother who has turned into stranger. Lonely, frightened and terribly homesick, Colette finds solace in the kitchen with the cook Georgette, and discovers love for French food - the Sunday lunches of roasted lamb stuffed with garlic, springtime strawberries bathed in créme fraiche, the first taste of truffle in a restaurant on the Left Bank. And it is through food that Colette finds happiness in Paris, skipping school to go to the farmers' market and dining in restaurants with her new stepfather, a hotelier who shares her love for eating. Then, at sixteen, she meets a dashing young American - and despite all opposition from her family, never looks back...