Living in a squatters shanty; shunned by the upstanding folk of Ithaca; Tessibel is nonetheless shocked when her father; a fisherman; is accused of murder. Barefoot; beautiful; and innocent; Tess sets out to clear his name. Along the way; she meet a Cornell man. Tess lives in a rotting shanty surrounded by fish bones. Her education is minimal. Her best friend is a toad. How can she compare with the brainy beauties he squires around?