The Nature of Blood

"Eloquent and unique … [Phillips] offers moving accounts of lives afflicted by racism and ethnic hatred–[His] exploration of how individual journeys and historical forces intersect makes for an unforgettable novel." – Maclean’s

"A consummate storyteller…. [Phillips] is one of the best and brightest of contemporary novelists…. [The Nature of Blood] could flounder in the hands of someone without the absolute mastery of historical detail that Phillips commands…. Brilliantly crafted." – The Montreal Gazette

"The Nature of Blood is expertly paced and laced with poetic flashes. Phillips is seamless in his transitions… a skillfully wrought, penetrating dissection of the debilitating and literally maddening effects of ethnic hatred, and of heroic stamina of the human spirit in the face of it." – The Globe and Mail

"Rich and powerful…[Phillips] has written an astonishing novel: ambitious, pithy, beautifully written and — above all — brave enough to tackle the great, public issues of our century without pity, prurience or maudlin sentiment." – Independent on Sunday