Wonder Valley
(Book)

"From the acclaimed author of Visitation Street, a visionary portrait of contemporary Los Angeles in all its facets, from the Mojave Desert to the Pacific, from the 110 to Skid Row. When a teenage boy runs away from his father's mysterious commune, he sets in motion a domino effect that will connect six people all desperate for hope and love, scattered across the sun-bleached canvas of Los Angeles. There's Ren, just out of juvie, who travels to L.A. in search of his mother. Owen and James are teenage twins who live in a desert commune, where their father, a self-proclaimed healer, holds a powerful sway over his disciples. There's Britt, who shows up at the commune harboring a dark secret. Tony is a bored and unhappy lawyer on his way to work, jolted out of his malaise by a naked runner sprinting through a traffic jam on the 110. And Blake, a drifter hiding in the desert, is doing his best to fight off his most violent instincts. Their lives will intertwine and come crashing together in a shocking way that could happen only in this enchanting, dangerous city. Wonder Valley is a swirling mix of angst, violence, heartache, and yearning--a masterpiece by a writer on the rise."--Dust jacket flap.