The hardback, which arrived yesterday, has one change on it:  It now says “A Novel of the Civil War.”  It has the three quotes, from Pat Conroy, Robert Hicks and Madison Smartt Bell.  I have not met any of those three excellent authors, but I certainly admire their work.  I also want to mention that the jacket was designed by Laura Klynstra.  Truly fine work, it’s just a sensational cover.  Insert your superlative here___.  The photograph of the hands was taken by Robert Neumann.  Originally, when the cover was discussed, there was talk of an artist doing a rendering of the leaning gate.  I was a bit unsure of that, leaning more to corn stalks or something like that, something that would be visually stunning.  Ellen Archer met me in Los Angeles, and she brought two copies of the cover, wrapped around other people’s books, and when I saw it, I was sold.  I can be a picky guy when it comes to art, particularly as it pertains to my own stuff.  Not this time.  That the final cover is so close to the ones that I was shown that evening is a testament to Laura’s work.