A whole new world opens up for Ann Elgar when she goes to stay with the Menton family on a year's exchange visit with their young son. For Ann, the chance to work in a Swiss resort at Madame Menton's ski club is a golden opportunity. The atmosphere of the gay ski resort in the mountains and the friendly companionship of Luc Menton, the elder son of her employer, seem to augur a happy carefree year in which Ann intends to speak French and to ski. Luc makes her especially welcome and soon it is clear that his affection is turning into love. But against Luc and Madame Menton's advice she makes friends with an older man, Paul Duret, an sophisticated French actor, who makes no secret of his infatuation with her. Anne is spellbound by Paul, whose charm and fascination blind her to the truth about his past reputation and past associations with the rich, glamorous Yvonne Verdes. Soon, the atmosphere becomes far from carefree, Luc falls deeply in love with Ann but it is the older man whom Ann finds that she has other lessons to learn besides ski-ing and French - she has to learn the somewhat painful lesson of growing up.