Set in the 1950s, the protagonist, cal, cannot find a direction for his life. At home with his mother and brother, he feels lost as he heads into his senior year of high school. During the summer, his mother continues to compare his failures with his younger brother's successes, making Cal question her love for him.
Encouraged by her brother, she encourages Cal to attend a military school in Texas in order to gain a sharper focus on his future. Reluctantly he agrees, approaching it as a new adventure In his life.
From the moment he arrives, Cal is shocked by the expectations of the school and the military way of life. Only a girl he meets through synagoge and his roommate keep him going and involved. And when that all falls apart, he faces a crucial decision. Should he ride it out, or take off and return home using his thumb for transportation? And if he does return, how will his mother judge him?