Different Drummer cover

Different Drummer

by William Melvin Kelley

The story of Tucker Caliban, a black Southerner who one day salts his fields, burns down his house, kills his livestock and, with his wife and child, sets off a mass exodus of his mythical state's entire black population.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?