In a world where people are followed by animals that reflect their personality, Taylor is devastated when she starts being followed by companions of the creepy crawly variety. As her passionate science teacher's annual companion showcase rapidly approaches, Taylor's mind is abuzz with anxiety about what her newfound companions mean about who she is.

The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman living near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London.