Jervey Tervalon delivered "a marvelous read" ( USA TODAY ) in Dead Above Ground, his national bestselling novel of a troubled Southern family—now his literary landscape shifts to the West Coast, in this compelling portrayal of a young black university professor living life on his own terms, a life entangled in the complex relationships with the women who desire him. All Jordan Davis wants is a smooth ride, speeding his Triumph along the 101, living the beautiful life among the beautiful people of Santa Barbara, in search of a broader world—one that isn’t defined by his race or class background. But trouble seems to find him at every turn in the road. There's Trisha, the seductive twenty-two-year-old virgin from the glamorous foothills; there’s Mary, the angry white girl whose defiancé is a definite turn-on; and Daphne, an exotic, forbidden student from a college class he teaches, and keeper of shadowy secrets. They all want to define him, limit him, turn him into what they want him to be. But for Jordan, the ultimate question is what does he want out of life—and can a man truly create a destiny that isn't defined by his race or his past?