New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1948. First edition. First printing with Scribner's A and seal on the copyright page. A Near Fine copy of Paton's famous first novel. A Near Fine copy with a previous owner's name on the front end paper and a small blemish to the front board. In a price-clipped Near Fine example of the fragile dust jacket with a few short tears to the rear panel (without loss). Nonetheless, a lovely copy and scarce in this condition.

Cry, the Beloved Country follows the story of Stephen Kumalo, a Black priest who goes to Johannesburg to help his sister -- and find his brother. The book is a critique of South African society, released just a year before Apartheid was instituted. It was adapted into two films, including one in 1995 that would star James Earl Jones and Richard Harris. Cry, the Beloved Country was enormously successful – it would become a worldwide bestseller with upwards of 15 million copies in over twenty languages. It was also a selection of Oprah’s Book Club. It remains among the greatest examples of white allyship in depicting racism and calling for others to rally against it. Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. (Item #5585)