'Europe beckoned more brilliantly now that they were fairly embarked on their journey. The sun shone, the lake was a beautiful, dazzling blue, and Katy said to herself, "After all, a year is not very long, and how happy I am going to be!"'
When Mrs Ashe discovers that her visiting nephew has scarlet fever, she sends her young daughter Amy to stay with the Carr family. There, Amy develops a strong attachment to Katy, who treats her like a little sister. Mrs Ashe, grateful for the kindness Katy has shown, invites her to join them on a year-long trip around Europe. Katy is at first reluctant - a year is a long time to be away from her family - but soon she gets swept up in the adventure, which takes her from the historic (but rainy) London streets to the beautiful cities of Nice, Paris and Naples.