The community of Pagford is stunned when Barry Fairbrother, a man in his early forties, dies. With a cobblestone market square and an ancient abbey, Pagford appears to be an English ideal, but what lies beyond the lovely veneer is a community at war. Pagford is not what it appears to be, with the rich at odds with the poor, teenagers at odds with their parents, spouses at odds with their husbands, and teachers at odds with their students. And the empty seat on the town council left by Barry soon becomes the cause for the town's biggest fight yet. In an election marked by emotion, deception, and surprise revelations, who will emerge victorious?