Kate gave up her dreams of being a painter years ago. But six little words pinned to the noticeboard of her local café could change her path forever. "To be, or not to be..." --- printed on an orange card with no explanation --- appears one morning. Each day, a new line from a different Shakespeare play is added, sparking curiosity throughout the café. Among the regulars is Bardy, a retired English teacher grappling with writer's block. As Kate and Bardy follow this breadcrumb trail, they discover a local community group encouraging people to rediscover their own creative spark --- and the long-lost courage to chase it. For Kate, their new group might just offer a second chance at happiness, if only Bardy can find the strength to share his story too.

She can't recall what started her collection. Maybe it was in a fragment of conversation overheard as she cleaned a sink? Before long (as she dusted a sitting room or defrosted a fridge), she noticed people were telling her their stories. Perhaps they had always done so, but now the stories are reaching out to her and she gathers them to her. Cleaner Janice knows that it is in people's stories that you really get to know them. When Janice starts cleaning for Mrs. B --- a shrewd and prickly woman in her 90s --- she finally meets someone who wants to hear her story. But Janice is clear: she is the keeper of stories, she doesn't have a story to tell. At least, not one she can share. Mrs. B is no fool and knows there is more to Janice than meets the eye.