A Room With a View is the story of Lucy Honeychurch, a young Edwardian woman on holiday in Florence with her overbearing older cousin. While there, Lucy falls in love with an Englishman named George Emerson and the two rapidly begin growing closer. The novel is mainly concerned with the restrictions placed on young women by Edwardian society, a set of social rules exemplified by Lucy's hotel room with its beautiful view and the constant presence of her nosy and oppressive cousin.