Iran meets Solly by the sea one evening. It is the beginning of a life long love affair. Iran's mother stitches 5854 pearls on to her wedding dress and with 5754 of them the couple buy a tiny flat shaded by guava trees. There they have five children - Maurice the first-born, who is outshone by his glamorous sisters; Sofia, the eldest daughter who dreams of luxury and a wealthy husband; Marcelle, the clever one always buried in a romantic novel; Lizzie, who fantasises about sex at a shockingly young age and Matti, the baby. Surrounded by their parents' passion, the children grow up longing to fall in love. Only to discover that life isn't always a fairy tale ...