▁opens , ▁Tom ▁is ▁living ▁in ▁isol ation ▁in ▁a ▁Manh attan ▁a partment ▁with ▁his ▁sole ▁guard ian , ▁El iza ▁Beth une , ▁the ▁wid ow ▁of ▁his ▁former ▁manager ▁who ▁wants ▁to ▁rid ▁herself ▁of ▁Tom . ▁The ▁novel ' s ▁subsequent ▁sections ▁examine ▁Tom ' s ▁powerful ▁impact ▁on ▁those ▁who ▁try ▁to ▁return ▁him ▁to ▁fame ▁or ▁who ▁simply ▁want ▁to ▁understand ▁him , ▁including ▁his ▁mother ▁after ▁a ▁de cade ▁of ▁separation . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁that ▁the ▁novel ▁offers ▁an ▁alternative ▁history ▁of ▁Tom , ▁it ▁also ▁offers ▁an ▁alter ed ▁history ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁America ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁during ▁the ▁years ▁immediately ▁before ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁war ▁itself , ▁and ▁the ▁years ▁that ▁followed . ▁These ▁fict ive ▁spaces ▁of ▁place ▁and ▁time ▁allow ▁for ▁an ▁imag in ative ▁expl oration ▁of ▁many ▁subjects , ▁including ▁family , ▁bond age ▁and ▁freedom , ▁religion , ▁and ▁the ▁cre ative ▁imp ulse . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁well ▁received ▁by ▁critics . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁front - page ▁review ▁for ▁the ▁June ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Sunday ▁edition ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Book ▁Review ▁magazine , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁review ed ▁by ▁novel ist ▁Mitchell ▁S . ▁Jackson . ▁The ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁gave ▁the ▁novel ▁considerable ▁attention , ▁both ▁review ing ▁the ▁novel ▁and ▁publishing ▁an ▁ex cer pt ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁in ▁the ▁newspaper . ▁Ess ence ▁magazine