"The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" was Carson
McCullers' first novel, written in 1940. Set in
a small town in the American South, it is the
story of a group of people who have little in
common except that they are all hopelessly
lonely. A young girl, a drunken socialist and a
black doctor are drawn to a gentle, sympathetic
deaf mute, whose presence changes their lives.
This powerful exploration of alienation is both
moving and perceptive.