▁books . ▁Also ▁a ▁gift ▁for ▁those ▁of ▁us ▁who ▁love ▁reading ▁and ▁writing --- a ▁gift ▁for ▁those ▁not ▁born ▁yet ▁who ▁will ▁learn ▁much ▁about ▁writing ▁and ▁reading , ▁about ▁themselves ▁from ▁Bl ind ▁Tom ". ▁- ▁ ▁John ▁Ed gar ▁W ide man ▁ ▁" S ong ▁of ▁the ▁Sh ank , ▁for ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁in vention , ▁feels ▁like ▁a ▁res urre ction ▁of ▁a ▁true ▁past . ▁J ef fer y ▁Ren ard ▁Allen ▁so ▁fully ▁inhab its ▁this ▁imag ined ▁history , ▁and ▁so ▁convin cing ly ▁rend ers ▁the ▁char is ma ▁and ▁mystery ▁of ▁Bl ind ▁Tom , ▁the ▁story ▁seems ▁as ▁alive ▁and ▁immediate ▁as ▁this ▁very ▁present ▁moment . ▁With ▁his ▁electric ▁and ▁se aring ▁pro se , ▁with ▁his ▁un c anny ▁insight , ▁Allen ▁has ▁written ▁a ▁spell - binding , ▁master ful ▁novel ". ▁- ▁R ene ▁Stein ke , ▁author ▁of ▁Fri ends wood ▁ ▁" All en ’ s ▁novel ▁is ▁an ▁amaz ing , ▁imag ining ▁of ▁another ▁time , ▁place , ▁world ". ▁- ▁Regin ald ▁Gib b ons ▁ ▁" T al ent ▁and ▁br ill iance ▁are ▁not ▁enough . ▁Writing ▁a ▁novel ▁like ▁this ▁is ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁building ▁a ▁three - story ▁building . ▁Single ▁hand edly . ▁J ef fer y ▁Ren ard ▁Allen ▁scores ▁highly ▁with ▁this ▁novel ▁about ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁sav ant , ▁Bl ind Tom ." ▁- ▁I sh ma el