John Edgar Wideman’s first novel, A Glance Away, was published in 1967 when the author was just 26 years old. The New York Times Book Review raved “Here is a novelist of high seriousness and depth. He has all sorts of literary gifts, including a poet’s flair for a taut, meaningful, emotional language.” The action unfolds over the course of a single day, but deftly jumps through time to interweave the life journeys of two very different men whose paths converge one unforgettable evening with surprising and unforgettable results. Eddie Lawson, a young African-American, has spent a year kicking his drug habit and finally returned home. Robert Thurley, a white college professor, is on the verge of crumbling under the weight of haunting family memories, alcoholism, and a tormented struggle with his ambiguous sexual identity. Their encounter forcefully illustrates the consequences of our failure to understand one another, and the transformative possibilities that... More > open up for those brave enough to try.< Less
