by Elizabeth von Arnim

Setting and Premise

Published in 1922, “The Enchanted April” tells the story of four very different English women who escape their dreary London lives for a month-long holiday at a medieval castle in Italy. Set in the 1920s, the novel explores themes of renewal, friendship, and the transformative power of beauty and sunshine after the darkness of World War I.

The Unlikely Partnership

The story begins in a dreary London women’s club where two women, previously strangers, are both drawn to the same newspaper advertisement. The small classified ad reads something like: “To those who appreciate wisteria and sunshine. Small medieval Italian castle on the shores of the Mediterranean to be let furnished for April. Necessary servants remain. Z, Box 1000, The Times.”

Mrs. Lotty Wilkins, a timid solicitor’s wife, and Mrs. Rose Arbuthnot, the pious wife of a vicar, both feel trapped in their conventional, joyless marriages. Despite their different personalities—Lotty being more impulsive and mystically inclined, Rose more practical and duty-bound—they are both irresistibly drawn to the romantic promise of this advertisement. The mention of “wisteria and sunshine” speaks to something deep in their souls that has been starved of beauty and joy. They decide to respond to the ad and rent the Castello San Salvatore in Portofino, Italy, for the month of April.

However, the cost of the castle rental is beyond their modest means, so they must find two other women to share the expense and the experience.

The Four Women

Mrs. Lotty Wilkins is married to a dull solicitor who barely notices her existence. She’s drawn to the mystical and beautiful, feeling suffocated by her mundane London life. Lotty serves as the catalyst for the entire adventure, possessed of an almost childlike faith that Italy will somehow transform them all.

Mrs. Rose Arbuthnot is married to Frederick Arbuthnot, a vicar who writes popular novels under a pseudonym—novels she considers immoral and sensational. She’s deeply religious but has grown cold and judgmental, feeling spiritually empty despite her devotion to good works.

Lady Caroline Dester is a beautiful, fashionable young socialite who has become tired of the burden of London society after a man she loved died in WWI. She’s wealthy and sophisticated but emotionally empty, seeking refuge from all the charming men who constantly pursue her.

Mrs. Fisher is an elderly, pompous widow who knew many Victorian luminaries and regards herself as superior to others. She’s snobbish, highly proper, and lives in the past, constantly lamenting the loss of old friends and better times.

The Journey to Italy

The four women, virtual strangers to each other, embark on their journey with different expectations and considerable mutual wariness. Mrs. Fisher expects to be treated with deference due to her age and social connections, Lady Caroline plans to use the time to escape unwanted male attention, Rose hopes for spiritual renewal, and Lotty simply believes that something wonderful will happen.

The Magic of San Salvatore

Upon arriving at the Castello San Salvatore, perched dramatically on cliffs above the Mediterranean, the women are immediately struck by its beauty. The castle is ancient, mysterious, and surrounded by gardens bursting with wisteria, roses, and other flowering plants. The Italian sunshine, the scent of flowers, and the breathtaking views begin to work their magic almost immediately.

Transformations Begin

The enchanted atmosphere of the place begins to transform each woman in different ways:

Lotty Wilkins blossoms like the flowers around her. She becomes more confident, radiant, and loving. Her transformation is the most dramatic and serves as a catalyst for the others. She begins to see beauty everywhere and becomes determined to share this joy with others.

Rose Arbuthnot gradually sheds her rigid, judgmental attitudes. The beauty of Italy softens her heart, and she begins to remember what it feels like to experience joy and sensual pleasure. She starts to question her harsh judgments of her husband’s work and her own loveless approach to life.

Mrs. Caroline Dester begins to lower her emotional defenses. The peace of the castle allows her to grieve properly for her husband and to consider the possibility of love again. She becomes less cynical and more open to genuine human connection.

Lady Caroline proves the most resistant to change initially, clinging to her demanding ways and social pretensions. However, even she cannot remain entirely immune to the castle’s influence.

Complications and Visitors

As the women settle into castle life, complications arise. Rose impulsively invites her husband Frederick to join them, despite their estranged relationship. Lotty, in her newfound enthusiasm for spreading joy, invites her neglectful husband Mellersh. Mrs. Dester finds herself pursued by an Italian admirer, while Lady Caroline must confront her own isolation.

The arrival of the husbands creates tension but also opportunity for reconciliation and renewed understanding.

The Magic Deepens

Under the Italian sun and surrounded by natural beauty, the relationships between all the characters begin to heal and deepen. The castle seems to have a genuinely magical quality—not supernatural, but rather the magic of beauty, peace, and the opportunity for reflection away from the constraints of English society.

Rose rediscovers her capacity for love and begins to see her husband with new eyes, understanding that her own coldness contributed to their marital problems. Frederick, away from London’s distractions, remembers why he fell in love with Rose and begins to appreciate her goodness.

Lotty’s radiant happiness proves infectious, and her husband Mellersh, initially annoyed by the expense and inconvenience, finds himself charmed both by Italy and by this new version of his wife.

Unexpected Romance

Mrs. Dester, despite her cynicism about love, finds herself genuinely attracted to a younger man, and must decide whether to risk her heart again. Meanwhile, Lady Caroline’s story takes an unexpected turn as she confronts her loneliness and the possibility of companionship in her later years.

The Transformation Complete

By the end of April, all four women have been fundamentally changed by their experience. They’ve shed their previous constraints—whether of timidity, coldness, cynicism, or arrogance—and discovered new versions of themselves. More importantly, they’ve formed genuine friendships with each other, something none expected when they began this adventure as strangers.

Themes and Meaning

“The Enchanted April” is ultimately about renewal and the power of beauty to heal wounded spirits. Von Arnim suggests that sometimes we need to remove ourselves from our familiar environments to see ourselves and our relationships clearly. The novel celebrates female friendship, the importance of beauty in human life, and the possibility of transformation at any stage of life.

The Italian setting is not merely decorative but essential to the story—representing warmth, sensuality, and joie de vivre that contrasts sharply with the repressed, duty-bound atmosphere of post-war England.

Conclusion

The novel ends with each woman returning to England transformed, carrying the magic of their April in Italy back into their ordinary lives. They’ve learned to value beauty, friendship, and love over duty, convention, and fear. The “enchanted April” becomes a metaphor for those rare moments in life when we glimpse our better selves and find the courage to embrace joy.

Von Armin’s gentle, humorous novel ultimately argues that it’s never too late to change, that beauty has genuine healing power, and that sometimes the most important journeys we take are not to exotic destinations, but toward understanding ourselves and connecting authentically with others.