Seven-year-old Cedric Errol lives with his mother in New York City and has a decidedly negative view of the British aristocracy. Little does he know, he is a part of that group.

When a lawyer arrives at their home, Cedric learns that due to the death of his uncle, he is now the heir to the Earl of Dorincourt and is to move to England to live with his grandfather. Gaining sudden wealth and moving into a castle might be exciting, but it also means living apart from his mother, whom his grandfather never approved of. And the earl is notorious for being a stingy and heartless leader.

Before long, Cedric's generous nature and open heart begin to change the whole earldom for the better. But his grandfather's character isn't the only challenge he'll face, and soon the new life Cedric has built in England is thrown into jeopardy.

Beloved since its original publication in the 1880s when it was an immediate hit that inspired popular fashion trends, Cedric's story has remained one of Frances Hodgson Burnett's most enduring classics.