High schoolers Arnie and Monica split over his relentless pursuit of sex, only to find themselves drawn back together after a series of misadventures, awkward courtships, and the looming threat of jealous bully “Piggy” Bronk. Amid flirtations, fights, and fleeting romances, the teens navigate the chaos of youth, choosing between love and lust.

Sister Glen Moore's dying wishes include a eulogy by Jesse Jackson; a spiritual delivered by "the big opera star," Benita Cross; and a final face-to-face with her estranged mother, the redoubtable Mrs. Gerturde Hudson. Reverend Dexter, of Brooklyn's New Canaan Church, must rely on his full reserves of wisdom, patience and heavenly guidance to negotiate the late sister's exquisitely orchestrated funeral and the little secret that she carries with her to the grave...