Lee Sheridan's ego has always been stoked by his newspaper publisher father, Dan Sheridan, who is willing to "hold the presses" solely to print Lee's many sporting accomplishments as they happen. Because he is as good as he says in those sporting accomplishments, Lee is generally well liked by his colleagues at Lakedale State College in his hometown of Lakedale despite that ego. It is because of those sporting feats that Lee is offered a scholarship to attend Oxford. Lee expects to be as welcomed at Oxford as he has been his entire life, but is slow to learn that his brash American sensibilities mean more to his staid Oxford classmates than his sporting accomplishments, that brashness which turns off the first three Oxford students he meets on the train. It is because of their rough treatment of him, especially by Paul Beaumont, that makes Lee reconsider his stay in England. Lee does decide to stay and make a name for himself in a good way, partly to impress Molly Beaumont, Paul's pretty sister. Although Molly can see Lee for the nice guy that he is beyond that brash veneer, Lee may have to work harder to impress his male classmates beyond his sporting prowess, despite he helping the track and rowing teams specifically. Lee and Paul may come to a new understanding based on their personal situations, Paul's which includes a personal relationship with Elsa Craddock, a married bookstore owner.