First published in 1928 and long out of print, this classic novel gives voice to the alienation and frustration of urban blacks during an era when Harlem was in vogue. With sensual, often brutal accuracy, Claude McKay traces the parallel paths of two very different young men struggling to find their way through the suspicion and prejudice of American society in the early twentieth century. At the same time, this stark but moving story touches on the central themes of the Harlem Renaissance, including the urgent need for unity and identity among ordinary blacks - for a common thread even though "we ain´t nonetall the same".