In this triumphant bestseller, renowned novelist James A. Michener unfolds a powerful and poignant drama of disenchanted youth during the Vietnam era. Against exotic backdrops including Spain, Morocco, and Mozambique, he weaves together the heady dreams, shocking tribulations, and heartwarming bonds of six young runaways cast adrift in the world—as well as the hedonistic pursuit of drugs and pleasure that collapses all around them. With the sure touch of a master, Michener pulls us into the private world of these unforgettable characters, exposing their innermost desires with remarkable candor and infinite compassion. **Praise for *The Drifters*** * * * “A blockbuster of a book . . . full of surprise, drama, and fascination.” **—Philadelphia *Bulletin*** * * * “Rings with authentic detail and clearly descriptive sights and smells . . . *The Drifters* is to the generation gap what *The Source* was to Israel.” **— *Publishers Weekly*** * * * “[ *The Drifters* ] conveys a sense of a new time, a new generation.” **— *Chicago Sun-Times*** * * * “Michener has slid open a window on the world of the dropout and has spared no effort to make the reader aware of this new world.” **— *The Salt Lake Tribune***