Na pervyi vzglyad zhizn lesnika Getina Tomasa v rodnom gorodke v Severnom Uelse prosta i zauryadna, no u nego est sekret - Ti Gvidr, izyashchnyi steklyannyi dom na beregu ozera, za kotorym on prismatrivaet v otsutstvie angliiskikh vladeltsev. So vremenem Ti Gvidr stanovitsya dlya Getina lyubimym ubezhishchem, i on nachinaet schitat dom svoim. Vnezapno zhizn Getina daet treshchinu, kogda ego pervaya lyubov Oluen, teper uspeshnyi rezhisser v Londone, vozvrashchaetsya v rodnoi gorodok vmeste s muzhem i pokupaet Ti Gvidr. Mezhdu Oluen i Getinom snova vspykhivaet strast - oni polny reshimosti nachat snachala, - no ikh istoriya omrachaetsya pamyatyu o protivostoyanii valliitsev i anglichan v 1980-kh godakh. V svoei proze Francheska Ris, avtor bestsellera «Nablyudatel», issleduet vliyanie politicheskikh sobytii na zhizn obychnykh lyudei, masterski perepletaya lichnuyu dramu i istoricheskii konflikt. Severnyi Uels predstaet pered chitatelem vo vsei svoei krasote i slozhnosti, a istoriya Getina i Oluen stanovitsya puteshestviem v glubinu chelovecheskikh chuvstv, razbuzhennykh ekhom proshlogo.