Mozart and Leadbelly: Stories and Essays

The beloved author of the classic, best-selling novel A Lesson Before Dying shares the inspirations behind his books and his reasons for becoming a writer in this collection of stories and essays.

Told in the simple and powerful prose that is a hallmark of his craft, these writings by Ernest J. Gaines faithfully evoke the sorrows and joys of rustic Southern life.

From his depiction of his childhood move to California — a move that propelled him to find books that conjured the sights, smel...