In the country of Yeats, Wilde, and Joyce, sixteen-year-old Charlie Bruno looks to escape the recent death of his parents by enrolling in a study abroad program for troubled youths. At his side is Tony Hughes - a musician and a hit with young ladies - who too has good reason for exodus. For Charlie, Tony, and their fellow students, schooling goes far beyond the classroom. Lesson plans include experimentation with art, drugs, sex, nightlife, and the irrepressible desire to bleed their youth of all its inherent potential.