By a powerful new voice in American fiction comes the story of a young black man coming to terms with his own race Jonah Winters has it all. An Ivy Leaguer born to expatriate parents, he is never in want for money and calls both New York City and Paris his home. Aware that his fortunes are rare for a black man like himself, he attempts to give back by teaching English at a New York City public school only to be profoundly disillusioned by his apathetic students. When a friend offers Jonah a chance to escape down to South America, he accepts, ready to leave the struggling African-American community to solve their own problems. But before he can make a clean break, a chance encounter with a former globetrotting basketball coach alters his journey from one of self-discovery to one of maturation. In his exciting and singular debut, McCarthy confronts difficult questions of race, identity and class with daring, and breathtaking storytelling.