"'Judge Howard Potter, one of the most respected and influential citizens of a suburban town outside of Philadelphia, lies dead after a long and wearying illness. He is survived by the five people who knew him best and whose lives were deeply influenced by him. . . .Through the thoughts and reminiscences of these five very different people Mr. Morris tells his story. . . . [His] writing is occasionally obscure but always absorbing. He does not, like so many writers, hover omnisciently over his characters. He prefers to project himself into their innermost and very human thoughts and emotions, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions. . . . Mr. Morris writes with wit, taste, and refreshing originality."—William Murray, Saturday Review

"Mr. Morris is a master of the exact phrase, the homely illuminating detail, and it is no accident that he is an excellent photographer. . . . His writing is simple, but his method is as complete as his subject matter, so he uses the multiple flashback, the melting of past into present."—E.M. Scott, New York Herald-Tribune Book Review

"A thoroughly satisfying novel."—Commonweal

"His finest novel to date."—San Francisco Chronicle