A young woman fatally attracted to an older man, Kelly Kelleher speaks for all women drawn to the power that certain men command. No matter how bright and brave her facade, her romantic dreams to be with the senator - an older man, a hero, a father figure, and a soon-to-be lover - turn into a nightmare as they leave a party for a car ride one hopes will not end in tragedy. This haunting and unforgettable novel, based on the story that has become an American myth, is yet another triumph for Joyce Carol Oates, a master of both fiction and of human truth.