Sosh Weinberg is determined to win the love of Sally Forrest and also to get through college proud to be a Jew. But the beginning of 1892 gets off to a tumultuous start when he discovers that one of his classmates has drowned. To make matters worse, he soon suspects that foul play might be involved after finding out that Sam Cutter, frequenter of whorehouses and opium dens, supposedly tried rescuing the victim.
Sosh knows he must stay out of trouble and not make any accusations that he can't prove, but it's tough to sit and watch as Sam tries to steal a friend's girlfriend and play the hero. He also hopes to spend time getting closer to Sally instead of playing detective.
With the arrival of the first black student, the onset of a fierce football rivalry with the University of California, and the development of a nation still trying to find its way after a civil war, Stanford University is a dangerous and exciting place in 1892.