New York: Random House, (1976) dj. Hardcover first edition - Her second novel. Toni Morrison, who had only published two novels herself at that time, was her editor at Random House for both of her first two novels. These first two books "form a diptych exploring the undercurrents of the psyche in a world of slave-owners, whoremongers, prostitutes, killers, man-eaters, jealous husbands, wayward wives, psych-ward inmates, pedophiles, wife-beaters, women in love with their abusers, and girls who carry knives. Nobody goes to church much." (author Calvin Baker). ÊJones was one of the first writers to show how the tentacles of slavery have extended into Black lives into the present day. Jones was recently the subject of an Atlantic Monthly article entitled "The Best American Novelist Whose Name You Might Not Know." by Calvin Baker. More than two decades after her novel "The Healing" was nominated for the National Book Award, and her life was roiled by tragedy, Êa new novel -which she has been working on for decades - Êwill be published by Beacon Press in 2021. 177 pp. Striking dust jacket design by Wendell Minor.

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.