I have no idea how I acquired this book, or how long it sat quietly on my shelf waiting for me. In the process of selling my house and moving overseas, the title made it seem like the thing to read. It turned out to be one of the very best novels I have ever read. I am looking forward to reading more James Baldwin and now count him with George Eliot and Jane Austen as one of my favorite novelists, solely based on this one book.