Just Above My Head
- Author
- James Baldwin
- Narrator
- André Santana
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 8 October 2026
- Run Time
- 23 hours 20 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
When Arthur Montana, world-renowned 'Emperor of Soul', is found dead in a London pub, his grief stricken brother looks back over thirty years in the lives of their group of friends: from their childhood spent preaching and singing in Harlem churches, to their struggles with war and poverty, and their encounters with wealth, love and fame.
Set against a vividly drawn background of the civil rights movement of the sixties, Baldwin's last novel is a monumental saga that ranges from New York to Paris, Korea to Africa to portray how profoundly racial politics can shape life, especially in the private business of love.
'This is the work of a born storyteller at the height of his powers' Edmund White, Washington Post
'Warm, melancholy . . . Hall Montana's voice is the conduit for Baldwin's most distinctive quality as a writer, his abundant tenderness' The New York Times
© James Baldwin 1979 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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Details
- Author
- James Baldwin
- Narrator
- André Santana
- Duration
- 23 hours 20 minutes
- Release Date
- 8 October 2026
- ISBN
- 9781837317141
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Social discrimination and social justice
Synopsis
<p>When Arthur Montana, world-renowned 'Emperor of Soul', is found dead in a London pub, his grief stricken brother looks back over thirty years in the lives of their group of friends: from their childhood spent preaching and singing in Harlem churches, to their struggles with war and poverty, and their encounters with wealth, love and fame.</p><p>Set against a vividly drawn background of the civil rights movement of the sixties, Baldwin's last novel is a monumental saga that ranges from New York to Paris, Korea to Africa to portray how profoundly racial politics can shape life, especially in the private business of love.</p><p><b>'This is the work of a born storyteller at the height of his powers' Edmund White, <i>Washington Post</i></b></p><p><b>'Warm, melancholy . . . Hall Montana's voice is the conduit for Baldwin's most distinctive quality as a writer, his abundant tenderness' <i>The</i> </b><i><b>New York Times</b></i></p><p>© James Baldwin 1979 (P) Penguin Audio 2026</p>
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