Willie Lee Reed, a young guitarslinger from Detroit, blows into the South Side of Chicago to challenge the master of the blues, Heddy Days, in a cutting session -- only to be beaten by one perfect note. But Willie Lee's genius is clear; it's just that he has a lot to learn. This is a novel of fierce competitions, murder, desire, civic corruption, and powerful hoodoo, exploring how we suffer and fight for the lives we are born to fulfill.