On Armistice Day in 1941, seven-year-old Teddy Nardo listens to his father's war stories from the Great War and watches him march in the parade. He loves his parents, but they irritate him deeply. They are old, poor, and irrevocably steeped in the Presbyterian ethic. Even worse, they're boring. During and after World War II, Teddy starts to meet exciting people: his sister's boyfriend, whose family buys on the black market; a very sexy teacher; a bipolar uncle; two highly attractive teenage girls; and, briefly, an unhygienic prostitute. Then the charismatic Reverend Geoffrey Hartman and his wife, Sara, come to town. Both Rev. Hartman and Sara are much more exciting than Teddy's parents, and Teddy is always at their house. He starts delving into the Bible, entering several Bible-reading contests. Eventually, he qualifies for The Bible Reading Contest finals in Long Beach, California. But the Hartman's home life is unhappy: Sara can no longer stomach the ecclesiastical life, and Rev. Hartman is a chronic philanderer. While Teddy and Rev. Hartman attend the Young People's Convention and contest finals in California, Sara learns of her husband's infidelities and arrives in Long Beach to confront him. From that moment, Teddy's life begins to take an unexpected turn .