just ▁to ▁their ▁fashion able ▁a partment ▁in ▁the ▁City ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁ri ots ▁that ▁had ▁driven ▁them ▁away ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁before . ▁But ▁soon ▁a ▁stranger ▁arriv es ▁from ▁the ▁myster ious ▁island ▁of ▁Ed gem ere — in hab ited ▁sole ly ▁by ▁African ▁sett lers ▁and ▁black ▁refuge es ▁from ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁ri ots — who ▁int ends ▁to ▁reun ite ▁Tom ▁with ▁his ▁now - li ber ated ▁mother . ▁As ▁the ▁novel ▁ranges ▁from ▁Tom ' s ▁boy hood ▁to ▁the ▁height s ▁of ▁his ▁performing ▁career , ▁the ▁in scr utable ▁sav ant ▁is ▁buff et ed ▁by ▁opportun istic ▁teachers ▁and ▁cro oked ▁man agers , ▁crack pot ▁he al ers ▁and ▁milit ant ▁proph ets . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁sym ph onic ▁novel , ▁J ef fer y ▁Ren ard ▁Allen ▁bl ends ▁history ▁and ▁fant ast ical ▁in vention ▁to ▁bring ▁to ▁life ▁a ▁radical ▁ci pher , ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁prof ound ly ▁changes ▁all ▁who ▁encounter ▁him . ▁At ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁this ▁remarkable ▁novel ▁is ▁Thomas ▁Gre ene ▁W igg ins , ▁a ▁nin ete enth - century ▁slave ▁and ▁impro b able ▁musical ▁genius ▁who ▁performed ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁Bl ind ▁Tom . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁Tom ▁and ▁his ▁guard ian , ▁El iza ▁Beth une , ▁struggle ▁to ▁read just ▁to ▁their ▁fashion able ▁a partment ▁in ▁the ▁City ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁ri ots ▁that ▁had ▁driven ▁them