“A haunting portrait of the American South.” — Vanity Fair
“Payne’s richly ornate Southern saga... fashions elaborate prose and touching characterization into an absorbing tale.” — Publishers Weekly
“Astonishing…Masterfully interweaving contemporary and 19th century story lines, Payne crafts a tragic, suspenseful tale of necessity and desire.” — Lee Smith
“A luscious, engaging, and heartfelt novel with plenty to say about individual responsibility and the legacy of slavery.” — Library Journal, Editor's Pick
“BACK TO WANDO PASSO is a mystery story inside a history story; a supernatural, psychological roller coaster ride ...Delicious.” — Randall Kenan, author of A Visitation of Spirits and Walking on Water: Black American Lives at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century
“So bold in concept and audacious in scope that it seems like the summing up of a great writer’s career.” — Pat Conroy
“The work of a master story teller who knows precisely what he wants to do ... First rate, original, and haunting.” — Craig Nova
“A master fabulist, Payne hooks the reader like a wide-eyed catfish...a fine, twisty marvel.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Delicious...brilliant...held together by gorgeous writing...The most literate beach read of the year.” — Washington Post
“Big in ideas, lush in its poetic text, large in its expansive reach through centuries...Payne is irresistible.” — The State (Columbia, MD)
“A complex and rich literary effort...could turn out to be both a best-seller and a modern masterpiece.” — Durham-Herald Sun
“Destined to be a breakout publication...[Payne] is a master...Readers will gleefully embrace this book. It’s big. It’s exotic.” — Asheville Citizen-Times
“A remarkable novel, written by a master craftsman. . . . not to be missed.” — Raleigh News & Observer