Plumfield boys Tommy, Emil, Nat, Dan, Demi, Rob, and Ted have all grown up, taking with them into the world the lessons they learned at the Plumfield Estate School. Split into sections following the lives of each young man, Jo’s Boys traces the impact on Jo and Friedrich Bhaer’s experimental form of education across a number of diverse―and often difficult―situations. Each character navigates the realities of college, marriage, and work with varying degrees of success, often finding that what they can most rely on is a well-grounded sense of morality, as well as a strong and abundant understanding of themselves as individuals. Emil, Professor Friedrich Bhaer’s nephew, becomes a sailor, gets promoted to second mate, and is faced with the challenge of rescuing his fellow shipmates after a wreck leaves them stranded. Tommy enters medical school but finds it difficult to dedicate himself to his work while weighing his complex affections for Nan and Dora, both of whom he could see himself marrying. The novel’s most compelling character is Dan, who becomes a sheep-herder in Australia before returning to America, being arrested out West, and ultimately discovering his deeply entrenched need to dedicate his life to others.