A Glance Away

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 open up for those brave enough to try.