Critical Praise

"A magnificent and audacious novel, jampacked with memorable characters and challenging ideas."

——The Atlanta Journal & Constitution

"[A] vibrant, rollicking first novel about race and idenity…[Smith's] prickly wit is affectionate and poignant."

——People

"A preternaturally gifted new writer [with] a voice that's street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time."

——Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"Brilliant…. Smith is a master at detail…a postmodern Charles Dickens…[Smith's] rich storytelling and wicked wit are suited to the sights and smells of the world that England has inherited."

——The Washington Post