Publishers Weekly reviewed
Sonata Mulattica as "a heterogeneous profusion of short poems, some almost prosy, some glittering in their technique" and "...those who loved her early work may think this book too long: few, though, will doubt the seriousness of her effort, her interest at once in the history of classical music and the changing meanings of race."
The New York Times quotes
Africlassical.com creator William Zwick who says "Dove does a wonderful job of humanizing the story"
The New Yorker said, "[...] stuffed with historical and musical arcana. Yet the book remains highly accessible, reading much like a historical novel. Dove is fascinated by Bridgetower's life as a black musician and occasionally implies parallels with the world of jazz and rap, but the issue of race does not predominate. She is concerned equally with the status of musicians in a world of precarious patronage." The New Yorker also listed the work as part of their 2009 "A Year's Reading" list. The
Los Angeles Times said it was a "masterful collection" The
American Library Association listed the work as part of their "Booklist Editor's Choice" for 2009, and described the work as "a mischievous and sensuous cycle of linked poems that explores genius and power, class and race." Jillian Wilson, a poet and professor at Kent State University, says that Dove did particularly well with converting all of the history in this book and adding her own twist to it. ==Film==