Landowner Allworthy finds an infant and raises the boy as his own son. The foundling, Tom Jones, grows up splendidly, sometimes even a bit too splendidly in the eyes of his guardian. When Tom falls in love with the neighbor's daughter, who is promised to Allworthy's nephew, the landowner banishes Tom from his home. The young man sets off for London, embarking on a journey across the country and through all layers of pre-Victorian society. In Tom's quest for self-discovery, his origins, and above all, true love, a true panorama of the 18th century unfolds.