Phil’s parents divorce when he is nine. His mother rents a home in the country for the four boys. Life is tough and Phil runs away several times. A snowstorm collapses the roof, destroying their piano and his hopes for a musical career. His mother becomes a housemother to a fraternity, where Phil resumes piano lessons. When his mother insists he live with his father, Phil rebels, rents a room and gets a job while going to school. A Christian witnesses to Phil, and the first part ends with his moving to escape the conviction.