For years, Isabella Seaborn had dreamt of spending a summer in Lefke, a small Aegean island. A successful novelist at last, she can afford to rent the villa she coveted since her college days. What she does not bargain for is Voula, the housekeeper who keeps a close eye on Isabella. But Isabella does not give up easily. She makes the best of her situation by keeping company with the people she meets in Lefke: Byron, an Englishman searching for his roots; Sam, an art professor vacationing with his mistress; and Stefan, a Greek architect visiting his aunt. Despite Isabella's attempt to relax, strange things happen at the villa. She senses people moving around and hears wailing voices. Isabella becomes obsessed with Mara, whose portrait hangs over the entrance door, and who seems to be connected to the strange happenings. Isabella develops a strong attachment to the old man that mysteriously appears to restore the statues in the garden after dark. Events take a dramatic turn when an earthquake rocks the town. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Isabella begins to recognize the house she coveted was but a means of escaping reality and her own fears and insecurities.