"A marvelously written little book, fascinatingly intricate, yet deceptively simple. Well worth reading more than once." — New York Times Book Review
“Witty and profound. . . Russell Bank’s tale of a jailed coffin-maker is a small but marvelous addition to the gallery of trapped minds.” — Washington Post Book World
“Stunning and original. . . . Russell Banks’s most sustained, intricate, and impressive work to date.” — Chicago Sun-Times
“A success. . . . Ironic, melancholy, and haunting.” — Newsweek
“Banks has skillfully used his repertoire of contemporary techniques to write a novel that is classically American—a dark, but sometimes funny, romance with echoes of Poe and Melville.” — Washington Post