Lee Cotton, the white-skinned, flaxen-haired son of a Scandinavian father and African-American mother, born in Mississippi in 1950, grows up testing the limits of racism, and his life becomes even more complicated by a freak accident, coupled with inventive surgery, that forces him to change his identity once again.

"January 15, 1978, is a night of promise, excitement, and desire. A serial killer's murderous spree in the Pacific Northwest couldn't be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee. That night, Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate....