The Acclaimed BBC Adaptation Of Vita Sackville-West's Beloved Novel. 'When can one please oneself it not in old age?' asks 85-year-old Lady Slane (Hiller), who frees herself from society's expectations upon the death of her politically prominent husband. To the shock of her children, who seem more concerned with the disposition of the estate than with their mother's happiness, the widow retreats to a cottage in the Hampstead countryside to rediscover herself. Nominated for four BAFTA Awards (including best g-british, g-drama series and best actress), this BBC production brings Sackville-West's best-known novel to the screen with all its emotional complexity, intellectual vigor, and profound feeling.