A Drop of Patience

by William Melvin Kelley

Book Overview

One of the great jazz novels of any era, A Drop of Patience tells the story of a blind horn player's journey through the themes of race, blindness, and music.

At the age of five, Ludlow Washington is given up by his parents to a brutal white-run state institution for blind African American children, where everyone is taught music--the only trade by which they are expected to make a living. Ludlow is a prodigy on the horn and at...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1984899317
• ISBN13: 9781984899316
• Release Date: June 2020
• Publisher: Anchor Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

No Deception Here

When I saw the first review that was posted, I thought a little correction was in order. This is a reprint of a book that first appeared before Stephen King had even begun to publish. The title has nothing to do with Stephen King and there is no reason anyone should think it does. This is, in fact, one of the most innovative novels of its time, and we are lucky to have it back in print. In you are at all interested in complex narratives about musicians, this is the novel for you. Heck, I bet even Stephen King would enjoy this book. William Melvin Kelley is among the most important African-American novelists of the post-World War II era, and this book ranks among his finest.