Rumi Revisited

In 1964, white in LA is the color of convenience. But for Cody, nothing in life is convenient. He falls in love with Malia who is from the nearly extinct Chumash tribe. He is befriended by Mr. Ozzard-a Persian refuge with grandiose, scary tales of faith and betrayal. His father treats Cody as harshly as his own father did-an Okie during the depression. Watts riots erupt. Malia is kidnapped by a demonic warrior from the ancient Chokki clan.
As a boy, he must rescue her. As the man he must become, he relies on the strength his father has beaten into him. With the help of Mr. Ozzard, Malia's uncle, and a mythical dagger as deadly as a sliver of ice, Cody forges onward as if a cavalry soldier without a horse.