"Jones is, without a doubt, one of the most influential Black writers of the 20th and 21st centuries...The Unicorn Woman is smart, and immaculately constructed..."
The New York Times
Her latest novel [The Unicorn Woman], infused with wordplay and humor, reveals her to be one of our greatest living authors.
Lauren LeBlanc, The Boston Globe
Through Buddy s picaresque journey, Gayl Jones shows her mastery of both dialogue and interiority. There is a bare minimum of scene-setting and little indication of actions such as standing, sitting or leaving a room. Instead we find encounter after encounter with richly individuated characters, each sporting his or her own verbal
idiosyncrasies, as noted by a well-read travelling man with an acute ear for speech patterns, just like his creator.
Suzi Feay,
The Times Literary SupplementIn
The Unicorn Woman, Gayl Jones presents a powerful portrait of post-war Black American life, blending history, mythology, and deep personal introspection.
New York Amsterdam NewsThe novel s biggest asset is its strong narrative voice. The reader is pulled into Buddy s psyche as it drifts seamlessly through childhood memories, wartime recollections, and vivid dreams. . . . Jones s novel deftly captures the disaffectedness of returning to a home that does not feel like home.
Southern Review of BooksA surprising, welcome gift from one of America s finest and least predictable writers.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Jones s rich characterizations and wit are on display.
Publishers WeeklyJones is skilled at balancing the observational with the intimate, and in Buddy we are given a fully realized character who epitomizes the frustrations, heartbreak, and humor of a generation of Black Americans.
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