Press Reviews

• Imani Perry

  Gayl Jones's work represents a watershed in American literature. From a literary standpoint, her form is impeccable; from a historical standpoint, she stands at the very cutting edge of understanding the modern world, and as a Black woman writer, her truth-telling, filled with beauty, tragedy, humour, and incisiveness, is unmatched. Jones is a writer's writer, and her influence is found everywhere

• Tayari Jones

  A literary giant, and one of my absolute favourite writers

• Janet St John

  Booklist

  These are songs of longing and love, journeys of discovery and wholeness, revelations about trauma's deep impact on body and soul, and simultaneous declarations of resistance and acceptance. Readers enthralled by Palmares will enjoy the added dimensions here, while others will be moved by the historical Black voices and oral traditions Jones so powerfully evokes

• Kirkus

  Compelling . . . There is fierce and evocative intimacy in these songs that contrast sharply with the sweeping momentum and formidable amplitude of the storytelling in Palmares . . . For readers who are more encouraged than intimidated by Jones' steely focus and breadth of vision, this is an important stop on a remarkable journey. This book's magic is different than that of its predecessor, yet the spells they cast are comparably powerful