“[A] lost giant of American literature. . . . Brilliant.” —The New Yorker
“A work of deep originality and superior craftsmanship whose treatment of racial politics resists ideological classification. . . . A potent brew of mythology, gossip, history, political argument and family drama. . . . A Different Drummer is animated by a force so immense, and fed by so much history, that it transcends encapsulation.” —The Wall Street Journal
“This fierce and brilliant novel is written with sympathy as well as sorrow. It’s a myth packed with real-world resonance.” —The Guardian
“Radical and important.” —Financial Times
“Kelley blended fantasy and fact to construct an alternative world whose sweep and complexity drew comparisons to James Joyce and William Faulkner.” —The New York Times
“A rare first novel; dynamic, imaginative, and accomplished.” —Chicago Sunday Tribune
“Powerful. . . . Unflinching. . . . A gift to literature.” —The Observer
“So brilliant is this initial novel that one must consider Mr. Kelley for tentative future placement among the paragons of American letters.” —Boston Sunday Herald
“Beautifully written and thought-provoking.” —Baltimore Evening Sun
“This first novel just perhaps could play a part in changing our history.” —Kansas City Star
“An astounding achievement . . . Timeless, mythic. . . . Still relevant and powerful today.” —The Sunday Times (London)
“Breathtakingly good. . . . Must be one of the most assured debuts of all time.” —Sjón, author of CoDex 1962
“An imaginative, brilliantly observed world of the 20th-century Deep South in turmoil. . . . Kelley delivers his observations with caustic humour and surprising compassion. The comparisons of his debut to the books of James Baldwin and Faulkner are justified.” —The Irish Times
“A rediscovered classic of African American literature. . . . A powerful novel that weaves intricate themes like racism, systemized oppression and identity together.” —Bookriot
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