Rebel in the Rye tells the story of one of the 20th century's greatest writers, J.D. Salinger, as he embarks on his writing career while studying at Columbia under the mentorship of his professor Whit Burnett. Shortly thereafter he finds himself in the throws of a tumultuous relationship with young starlet Oona O'Neill, a romance which shapes many of his early stories. Trying to establish his career in New York's literary circle in the 1930's, after numerous rejections and with no prospects for success, he enlists in the Army to fight in WWII. It is on the beaches of Normandy and across the battlefields of Europe that he begins writing the iconic novel which would ultimately become The Catcher in the Rye. Haunted by what he's seen, Salinger finally achieves success and is catapulted into unexpected fame, having forever permeated the consciousness of a nation and becoming the voice of a generation.