▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁begins ▁as ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁commun iqu és ▁between ▁a ▁sister , ▁Jean ▁Ar b ala id , ▁and ▁her ▁brother , ▁Harry ▁Fel ton , ▁recently ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁military . ▁Jean ▁and ▁her ▁husband , ▁Mark , ▁are ▁ren owned ▁and ▁well - connected ▁psych olog ists . ▁Since ▁he ▁is ▁un emp loy ed , ▁Jean ▁sends ▁Harry ▁on ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁tri ps ▁to ▁investigate ▁some ▁extreme ▁cases ▁of ▁fer al ▁children . ▁His ▁reports ▁back ▁to ▁her ▁confirm ▁her ▁hypothesis ▁that ▁children ▁are ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁their ▁environment . ▁ ▁Jean ▁and ▁Mark ▁conv ince ▁the ▁US ▁government ▁to ▁spons or ▁an ▁experimental ▁program ▁to ▁raise ▁ 4 0 ▁children ▁in ▁a ▁controlled ▁environment , ▁tail ored ▁to ▁allow ▁them ▁to ▁reach ▁their ▁full ▁potential . ▁The ▁children ▁in ▁question , ▁all ▁b ab ies ▁when ▁arriv ing ▁at ▁the ▁government - sp ons ored ▁comp ound , ▁are ▁all ▁to ▁be ▁naturally ▁gift ed . ▁The ▁comp ound ▁the ▁government ▁gr ants ▁them ▁is ▁a ▁se cluded ▁ ▁comp ound ▁in ▁California . ▁The ▁research ers ▁are ▁given ▁ 1 5 ▁years ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁children . ▁ ▁Next ▁she ▁sends ▁Harry ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁Professor ▁Hans ▁Gold baum ▁who , ▁before ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁had ▁written ▁a ▁paper ▁about ▁how ▁he ▁had ▁discovered ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁characteristics ▁in ▁b ab ies ▁that ▁would ▁determine ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁they ▁would ▁grow ▁to ▁be ▁ment ally ▁gift ed . ▁F inding ▁him