The Seraphim Room is the story of Lilian and Emily, two half-sisters who live together under the watch of their domineering father. Together they whittle their days away under the claustrophobic roof of the dusty and decaying Chilvester House. Shut away from the wider world, it looks like the two siblings might grow to be old spinsters together. That is until Emily encounters the charming Christopher Honythorne on a rare evening out. Emily basks in her new-found freedom and realises that there is a whole other world beyond the isolated existence she has experienced. But when Emily quickly becomes infatuated with Christopher, their tangled interactions could soon bring more misery than joy to Emily's secluded life. Particularly as Chilvester House already has a very unfortunate life expectancy for the women who live under its roof ...