Nick Fournier runs away from his over-protective, upper-middle-class mother and tests his ability to function and survive on a rugged Massachusetts island.
John alienates his parents by refusing to go into the family butcher business and irritates their customers by eavesdropping on them while gathering material for an epic novel.
By mistake, an unconventional lady receives a perfectly behaved factory-made child in the mail. To escape being returned, he must learn "normal" child behavior.