A Different Drummer: the extraordinary rediscovered classic

A lost masterpiece, following in the footsteps of Suite Française, Alone in Berlin and Stoner.

''More than lives up to the hype'' Observer
''Set to become a publishing sensation'' Kirsty Lang, BBC Front Row
''An astounding achievement'' Sunday Times
''The lost giant of American literature'' New Yorker

June, 1957. One afternoon, in the backwater town of Sutton, a young black farmer by the name of Tucker Caliban matter-of-factly throws salt on his field, shoots his horse and livestock, sets fire to his house and departs the southern state. And thereafter, the entire African-American population leave with him.

The reaction that follows is told across a dozen chapters, each from the perspective of a different white townsperson. These are boys, girls, men and women; either liberal or conservative, bigoted or sympathetic - yet all of whom are grappling with this spontaneous, collective rejection of subordination.

In 1962, aged just 24, William Melvin Kelley''s debut novel A Different Drummer earned him critical comparisons to James Baldwin and William Faulkner. Fifty-five years later, author and journalist Kathryn Schulz happened upon the novel serendipitously and was inspired to write the New Yorker article ''The Lost Giant of American Literature'', included as a foreword to this edition.

• | Author: William Melvin Kelley
• | Publisher: Quercus Publishing
• | Publication Date: Nov 01, 2018
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781787478039
• | ISBN-10: 1787478033