The story begins in California, where the hero's wife has just died and we are present at the funeral. It is all told in a matter-of-fact way, but after the prologue (which is bit over the top) the reader knows that tis is not just a story in Silicon Valley, but that bigger things have happened. Shortly after, Alan, a widower, start making his way to the East Coast where he comes across a black girl who has had her tongue forcibly removed. This mismatched pair embarks on an adventure that keeps opening up new plot lines. It is less depressing and less bloody than many other books in this genre. At times it drifts off into the philosophical, but it is well thought through and stays exciting. A new favorite.