THE NIGHT RIDERS

About the Book

About the Author

MANUEL ISAIAH KELLEY was born seventy-five years ago in a cave in the Highlands of Southern Scotland. His parents, who could neither read nor write, robbed and ate travelers who happened through their territory. When Manny was four, both of his parents were out foraging for food (or victims; it was never determined which, though most agreed it was “six of one, half dozen of the other”) when they themselves were set upon by another band of bloodthirsty cannibals and killed and eaten. Manuel wandered from his cave and promptly got lost in the worst thunderstorm the vicinity had seen in three hundred years. He was found, naked and starving, by the owner of a traveling circus. He spent the next thirty years of his life performing as a geek for this circus. It was at the hands of his owner that he suffered much physical and mental abuse. One night, after a particularly brutal beating, he killed the circus owner and fled across the ocean to America on a steamship. Here, he hid behind the guise of a circus clown (the Big Top being the only line of work he knew) until he decided to go to school and learn to read and write. So happy was he with his newfound ability to read and write that he decided to write a book. And here it is. Whaddaya think?