The Drifters was published by Random House in 1971. Six young people — American, British, Norwegian, Israeli, and Mozambican — meet in the expatriate communities of southern Spain, travel together through Morocco, and eventually reach Mozambique. They represent various strands of 1960s youth culture: the draft dodger, the folk-music enthusiast, the sexual revolutionary, the dropout, the political idealist, and the woman seeking independence from traditional expectations.
The novel is Michener’s attempt to understand a generation he found both admirable and troubling. Written by a man in his mid-sixties about people in their early twenties, it is remarkable for its genuine sympathy and its willingness to present the young characters’ critiques of their parents’ world as legitimate. The settings — Torremolinos before mass tourism ruined it, Marrakesh at the height of its hippie-era allure, colonial Mozambique on the verge of revolution — capture specific moments in time that no longer exist.
Collecting The Drifters
First edition (Random House, New York, 1971): Boards with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $50–$125
- Very good: $20–$50
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate to strong appreciation.
The Youth Culture Novel
The Drifters is Michener’s most unusual novel because its protagonists are young — in their twenties rather than the multi-generational families of his epics. Published in 1971, it is his attempt to understand the counterculture: draft resistance, drug experimentation, sexual liberation, and the rejection of their parents’ materialism. The novel’s international settings (Spain, Morocco, Mozambique) reflect the global reach of the 1960s youth movement and its aftermath.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Drifters considered a Michener classic? It divides readers. Those who came of age in the 1960s consider it an authentic portrait of their generation’s restlessness. Critics found it preachy and anthropological. As a historical document of the late-1960s expatriate youth scene, it is increasingly valued.