In the land of Ingary, where everything goes by fairytale rules, Sophie Hatter believes that she is doomed. After all, she is the eldest daughter of three, and everyone knows it's the youngest sister who goes off, has adventures, and makes her fortune.

Sophie's youngest sister Martha says she's not interested in any of that, and her middle sister Lettie insists that she is the one who is going to go off and make her fortune. But Sophie knows the truth: she and Lettie are doomed to failure and Martha will be blessed with success because that's the way things are in Ingary. The best Sophie can hope for is to make her living working at her family's hat shop in the town of Market Chipping.

 

But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.