Australien på 1800-talet. Ett gäng på tre bröder anklagas för att ha våldtagit en kvinna. En av bröderna är på väg att hängas, de två andra är fortfarande på fri fot. Den siste brodern släpps för att döda sin storebror, brödragängets ledare.
Swiss girl Adelheid 'Heidi' is orphaned young. Aunt Detie brings her to grandpa Alp and his wife, who live isolated in the Alps since his murder charge. Heidi soon takes to the wild country, especially accompanying young goatherd Peter. Grandpa refuses to send her to school in the city, but aunt Detie returns and forces him to give in. She's sent to a posh lady in Frankfurt, where she'll be a companion for crippled daughter Clara after school hours.
When writer's block derails the literary dreams of Olly Pickering, he has to move in with his friend Murray after losing all his money. Things start to look up when Olly's college pal James asks him to be the best man at his wedding. Prior to the nuptials, Olly is drawn to a woman whom he thinks is the bride's sister -- only she turns out to be the bride, Sarah. Can Murray, who dislikes James, help get Sarah and Olly together?
A grieving Connecticut mother temporarily switches houses with a woman in Dublin, Ireland.