Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician

It's 1950 and magician Henry Walker is traveling through the South with Jeremiah Musgrove's Chinese Circus.Though once a world-famous illusionist, Henry seems to have lost his magic, and when the novel opens he's in some serious trouble with three angry white teens. With Henry's fate uncertain, his friends from the circus narrate a spellbinding tale of how Henry came by his magic: When he was ten years old Henry met the devil, who gave him the giftand then stole the one thing that meant the most to him. The result is great adventure and tragedy, enthralling to the last page. Full of surprising twists and peopled with a literal circus of memorable charactersmany of whom narrate Henry's storyMR. SEBASTIAN AND THE NEGRO MAGICIAN is riveting and accomplished. As Wallace conjures up the warmth of the circus family against the backdrop of the South, he performs some literary magic of his own. Woven into Henry's poignant, enchanting story are powerful explorations of family, race, and morality. A wonderful combination of storytelling magic and literary sophistication, MR. SEBASTIAN AND THE NEGRO MAGICIAN is Wallace's best novel yet.

Daniel Wallace teaches at the University of North Carolina.