'An electrifying debut novel that travels some dark roads of American religion and bravado, propelled by a major new voice in fiction' Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins

A spirited story of desire and escape in mid-1970s America

Fifteen-year-old Loretta, raised by strict Mormon parents, slips out of her bedroom every evening to meet her 'gentile' boyfriend, intrigued by his good looks and worldly ways. Her parents catch her returning one night, and promptly marry her off to Dean Harder, a devout yet materialistic fundamentalist who already has a wife and brood of kids. When Evel Knievel-worshipping Jason, Dean's teenage nephew, falls in love with Loretta, the pair make a break for it. They drive all night, stay in hotels, and relish their dizzying burst of teenage freedom as they seek to recover Dean's cache of Mormon gold. But someone is on their trail...

'Vibrant, compelling... a riveting, rollicking thrill ride about throwing caution to the wind' Publishers Weekly

'Lean, fierce, and dangerous. Read it with care' Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer

'Fresh, vital and wild... don't miss this stunner' Megan Abbott, author of The Fever and Dare Me

'Captures the flailings and flights of hapless dreamers with prose that throbs like the strings of an electric bass playing its sad heart out in a near-desolate landscape' Kirkus (starred review)

'A magnificent debut of youthful yearning' Booklist (starred review)