{"product_id":"a-drop-of-patience-william-melvin-kelley-9781984899316","title":"A Drop of Patience","description":"\u003cb\u003eOne of the great jazz novels of any era, \u003ci\u003eA Drop of Patience\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of a blind horn player's journey through the themes of race, blindness, and music.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt 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 fifteen is \"purchased\" out of the Home by a bandleader in the fictive Southern town of New Marsails. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBy eighteen, he is married with a baby daughter, but as his reputation spreads, he seeks to grow musically, leaving his budding family for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in New York City. Navigating the worlds of music and race and women, Ludlow's career follows an arc towards collapse, a nervous breakdown, recovery, a long-delayed public recognition, only for him to finally abandon the spotlight and return to his roots and find solace in the black church. \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Drop of Patience\u003c\/i\u003e is a brilliant portrayal of a jazz musician. It stands apart as an exemplary parable of African American history, of racial politics, and of musical creative genius.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e William Melvin Kelley\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1984899317\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781984899316\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/30\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.20w x 0.70d","brand":"William Melvin Kelley","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43994400063743,"sku":"9781984899316","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_4544621e-ea9c-4e66-99d9-e48a1d7f48e1.jpg?v=1683329922","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-drop-of-patience-william-melvin-kelley-9781984899316","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}