One of the most remarkable autobiographies of our time, Manchild in the Promised Land is a seminal work of modern literature published during a literary era marked by the ascendance of black writers like Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Alex Haley. This thinly fictionalized account of Claude Brown's childhood as a hardened, streetwise criminal trying to survive the toughest streets of Harlem has been heralded as the definitive account of everyday life for African Americans raised in the northern ghettos of the 1940s and '50s. When the book was first published in 1965, it was praised for its realistic portrayal of Harlem—the children, young people, and hardworking parents; the hustlers, drug dealers, prostitutes, and numbers runners; the police; the violence, sex, and humor. The book continues to resonate generations later, not only because of its fierce and dignified anger, not only because the struggles of urban youth are as deeply felt today as they were in Brown's time, but also because of its inspiring message.
Now with an introduction by Nathan McCall, here is the story about the one who "made it," the boy who kept landing on his feet and became a man.
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“Manchild in thePromised Land is Claude Brown’s unforgettable epic ofgrowing up as a boy on the streets of Harlem. His Zola-esque gift for slices oflife is made all the more striking by his brilliant insights into character andsocial pressures.”
— Tom Wolfe
“A tremendous achievement.”
— James Baldwin“The first thing I ever read which gave me an idea of what it would be like day by day if I’d grown up in Harlem.”
— Norman Mailer“It is written with brutal and unvarnished honesty in the plain talk of the people, in language that is fierce, uproarious, obscene, and tender.”
— Romulus Linney, New York Times Book Review“Sometimes a unique voice speaks out so clearly and with so much passion that it comes to speak for an era, a generation, a people…and we have to listen.”
— Los Angeles Times“Incredible! No Negro writer ever told the whole street thing in Harlem: Claude Brown is the first.”
— New York Herald Tribune“He writes about his life—and Harlem—with frank, brutal, and beautiful power. Mr. Brown’s graphic narrative will make you laugh, cry, think, and possibly understand.”
— Atlanta JournalBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Claude Brown (1937–2002)
was born in New York City and grew up in Harlem. At age seventeen, after several terms in reform school, he left Harlem for Greenwich Village. He
went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and attended law
school. He also wrote a book called The Children of Ham in
1976. His book Manchild in the Promised Land evolved from an
article he published in Dissent magazine during his first year
at college.
Cary Hite has performed in several theaters across the country as a cast member in the longest-running African American play in history, The Diary of Black Men. He also appeared in Edward II, Fences, Macbeth, Good Boys, Side Effects May Vary, and the indie feature The City Is Mine. He has voiced several projects for AudibleKids, including Souls Look Back in Wonder, From Slave Ship to Freedom Road, and Papa, Do You Love Me?