It’s 1982 and Roger Bansky, a recently minted PhD in neuroscience,
is about to establish his own research lab. But first he wants an
adventure. He travels to Woodstock, the home of the iconic concert.
There, he teams up with Rosy, Tim and Leslie (with whom he
has an affair). The three clash with Wanda, the deceitful, hypersexual
owner of the Chez Hendrix hotel, and Madam Lasagna, a
sketchy spiritualist from The Bronx. Roger’s carefree weeks of sex,
drugs and rock n roll lead him to question his goal directed path
as a scientist. As Roger sets up his lab, he is joined by Grace, a
former ballet dancer, who seeks a new passion after being injured,
and Bakari, a talented 17-year-old African American high school
student assigned to help Roger. Grace is enthralled by the research
of Reese Knightly, a prominent scientist, and joins his lab. But when
she discovers that he is likely committing scientific fraud, she faces
a dilemma: do nothing and move on with her research or expose
him and risk destroying her career. Bakari plays a major role in
ground-breaking research, but when his 7- year-old sister is shot
in a drive-by shooting, he faces a choice between leaving school to
help his family and pursuing science. Senior scientist Ridley Greif
oversees the lives of these young people and searches for a way to
encourage talented young people like Grace and Bakari to explore
futures as scientists. This novel skillfully blends the thrill of real
laboratory research in neuroscience with the struggles of a diverse
group of fictional characters trying to find purpose in their lives.