utable , ▁resol utely ▁self - cont ained ▁person ality . ▁If ▁there ' s ▁any ▁justice , ▁Allen ' s ▁vision ary ▁work , ▁as ▁start ling ly ▁invent ive ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁subject ' s ▁performances , ▁should ▁prop el ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁front ▁rank ▁of ▁American ▁novel ists ." ▁ <0x09> ▁In ▁a ▁mixed ▁review ▁that ▁appeared ▁in ▁Publish ers ▁Week ly , ▁the ▁rev iewer ▁wrote : ▁" B oth ▁the ▁conception ▁and ▁the ▁underlying ▁history ▁behind ▁this ▁story ▁will ▁leave ▁readers ▁with ▁a ▁prof ound ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁in human ity ▁of ▁sla very ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁ra cial ▁att itudes . ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁[ An ] ▁ad mi rable ▁book ▁that ▁inv ites ▁an ▁important ▁exc av ation ▁of ▁the ▁past ." ▁ ▁The ▁cover ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁featured ▁a ▁bl urb ▁by ▁Jun ot ▁Dia z , ▁who ▁writes : ▁" The ▁pro dig iously ▁tal ented ▁J ef fer y ▁Ren ard ▁Allen ▁is ▁without ▁question ▁one ▁of ▁our ▁most ▁important ▁writers ." ▁The ▁novel ▁received ▁additional ▁bl ur bs ▁on ▁the ▁book ▁and ▁printed ▁and ▁online ▁public ity ▁from ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁distinguished ▁writers , ▁including ▁John ▁Ed gar ▁W ide man , ▁I sh ma el ▁Re ed , ▁and ▁R ene ▁Stein ke . ▁ ▁Here ▁are ▁the ▁bl ur bs ▁as ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁edition ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁and ▁the ▁author ' s ▁and ▁publish ers ▁websites : ▁ ▁" One ▁of ▁the ▁mi racle