They merge in jerks and starts from the Pasadena Freeway onto the Hollywood or the Santa Ana. and traffic is already jammed through downtown, ground to a standstill as cars attempt to cross five lanes, moving in increments so small their progress is nearly invisible. He is shirtless, the hint of swimmer’s muscle rippling below his tanned skin, his arms pumping in a one-two rhythm in sync with the beat of his feet. He is almost beautiful – running with the San Gabriels over one shoulder, the rise of the Hollywood Freeway as it arcs above the Pasadena Freeway over the other. ‘A dizzying, kaleiodoscopic thriller that refuses to let readers look away. Pochoda keeps you guessing while bringing these lost souls wonderfully, intensely alive’ Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek But as the intersecting journeys of hippie acolytes, restless hoods, lost boys and all manner of runaways converge, Pochoda enacts a aching dream of home that will possess and haunt you.’ ‘Wonder Valley seethes with the vivid, searching idea of Southern California. ‘A vision of Southern California that is at once panoramic and intimate… This novel paints an unforgettable portrait of people who long, above all else, for community and connection.’ Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author From desert scrub to cold blue sea, it carries an eloquent yet hard-edge take on the contradictions of a place so difficult to define. ‘Wonder Valley is destined to be a classic L.A. Their lives will all intertwine and come crashing together in a shocking way, one that could only happen in this enchanting, dangerous city. And there’s Blake, a drifter hiding in the desert, doing his best to fight off his most violent instincts. There’s Tony, a bored and unhappy lawyer. There’s Britt, who shows up at the commune harbouring a dark secret. There’s Owen and James, teenage twins who live in a desert commune where their father, a self-proclaimed healer, holds a powerful sway over his disciples. There’s Ren, just out of juvie, who travels to L.A. When a teenager runs away from his father’s mysterious commune, he sets in motion a domino effect that connects a cast of six characters who narrate Wonder Valley.

Wonder valley a novel