Tommy is the son of a hellfire and brimstone southern Baptist minister. They live in an old-fashioned community in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. People there are not very open minded or forgiving in their thinking. Tommy is the only son of their minister. He went away to Duke University on a football scholarship. Life was very different on campus. Tommy got into the party scene where he accidently caused the death of another student and fathered a child out of wedlock. The news followed him home for the summer. Now he and his parents have to decide if and how they are going to explain this to the congregation. Will they be forced to leave their church? What are they going to do with the baby?