Hill & Wang, 1970. Trade Paperback. Very Good. 8vo. - over 7 3/4 in. - 9 3/4 in. 169pp., pictorial green wrappers designed by Leo Manso. A lovely copy in Very Good condition with light creasing to the hinges and light shelfwear.

Synopsis

Finally available in trade paperback, Langston Hughes's breezy parable of good and evil, friendship and betrayal, is an unforgettable portrait of 1950s Harlem and two women called to the pulpit for very different reasons.For every bustling jazz joint that opened in Korean War--era Harlem, a new church seemed to spring up. Tambourines to Glory introduces you to an unlikely team behind a church whose rock was the curb at 126th and Lenox.Essie Belle Johnson and Laura Reed live in adjoining tenement flats, adrift on public relief. Essie wants to somehow earn enough money to reunite with her daughter and provide her with a nice home; Laura loves young men, mink coats, and fine Scotch. On a day of inspiration, the friends decide to use a thrift-store tambourine and a layaway Bible to start a church.Their sidewalk services are a hit: Laura's a natural street performer who loves the limelight, while Essie is a charismatic singer with a quiet spirituality. Before long they move to a thousand-seat theatre called the Tambourine Temple. The two women are joined in their ministering by Birdie Lee, the little-old-lady trap drummer who can work the congregation to a feverish pitch, and Deacon Crow-For-Day, an impassioned confessor.But then Laura falls for Buddy, a scam artist who suggests selling to the faithful lucky numbers from Scripture and bottles of tap water as "Holy Water from the Jordan." Even with a Cadillac and piles of money from Laura, Buddy won't stay faithful, igniting a crime of passion and betrayal.Harlem Moon Classics is proud to reintroduce readers of all generations to this sparkling gem from the canon of Langston Hughes.

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Details

Bookseller: Arundel Books of Seattle (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 628580
Title: Tambourines to Glory
Author: Hughes, Langston
Format/Binding: Trade Paperback
Book Condition: Used - Very Good
Quantity Available: 1
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Hill & Wang
Date Published: 1970
Keywords: , , , , , , , ,

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Arundel Books of Seattle

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Glossary

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Wrappers: The paper covering on the outside of a paperback. Also see the entry for pictorial wraps, color illustrated coverings for...
Shelfwear: Minor wear resulting from a book being place on, and taken from a bookshelf, especially along the bottom edge.
Trade Paperback: Used to indicate any paperback book that is larger than a mass-market paperback and is often more similar in size to a hardcover...