Boston: Beacon, (1998.). The first novel by this African American writer and poet to be published in over 20 years - and the first original work of fiction to be published by this long established press. A far more hopeful novel than Jones' earlier works - as indicated by the title - the publicity surrounding its publication had tragic personal consequences for Jones, with her husband having a violent confrontation with the police, holding her hostage and resulting in his death. A review in the Guardian of this novel, written by Dennis Harvey who had been a student of Jones at Michigan, called it 'luminous' and stated "The Healing is so slyly humorous, so refreshing in its character-driven idiosyncrasies, that you don't realize until afterward how many heady topics orbit around Harlan Jane's unreliable planet. They include ideas about African and African-hyphenate identity, politics, and culture; about spirituality, 'church' and otherwise; about the ways men are attracted to, then try to control, powerful self-directed women; about the never-simple impact of ancestral history.' A finalist for the National Book Award. 243 pp. ISBN: 0-8070-63258.