In the vibrant backdrop of 1969 Brooklyn, 'Deacon King Kong' paints a rich tapestry of community life through the disarming tale of a church deacon who unexpectedly shoots a drug dealer. As the ensuing chaos unravels, secrets, struggles, and the humanity of an eclectic group of characters emerge, revealing the heart of a neighborhood brimming with resilience. McBride masterfully intertwines humor and gravity, exploring themes of love, loss, and redemption. This poignant narrative challenges perceptions and showcases the complexities of everyday life. Will the deacon’s fateful act ultimately bring transformation or destruction to the community?
By James McBride
Published: 2020
""Sometimes you can find the light in the darkest places; you just have to choose to look for it.""
Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction Winner of the Gotham Book Prize One of Barack Obama's "Favorite Books of the Year" Oprah's Book Club Pick Named one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and TIME Magazine A Washington Post Notable Novel From the author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, the National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird, and the bestselling modern classic The Color of Water, comes one of the most celebrated novels of the year. In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and, in front of everybody, shoots the project’s drug dealer at point-blank range. The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of Deacon King Kong, James McBride’s funny, moving novel and his first since his National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird. In Deacon King Kong, McBride brings to vivid life the people affected by the shooting: the victim, the African-American and Latinx residents who witnessed it, the white neighbors, the local cops assigned to investigate, the members of the Five Ends Baptist Church where Sportcoat was deacon, the neighborhood’s Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself. As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characters—caught in the tumultuous swirl of 1960s New York—overlap in unexpected ways. When the truth does emerge, McBride shows us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, that the best way to grow is to face change without fear, and that the seeds of love lie in hope and compassion. Bringing to these pages both his masterly storytelling skills and his abiding faith in humanity, James McBride has written a novel every bit as involving as The Good Lord Bird and as emotionally honest as The Color of Water. Told with insight and wit, Deacon King Kong demonstrates that love and faith live in all of us.
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“"Sometimes you can find the light in the darkest places; you just have to choose to look for it."”
Deacon King Kong (Oprah's Book Club)
By James McBride
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James McBride is a celebrated American author and journalist, best known for his award-winning memoir, "The Color of Water," which explores his biracial identity through the lens of his mother’s remarkable life story. He is also the author of the acclaimed novel "Song Yet Sung," which delves into the lives of enslaved people on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and "Good Lord Bird," a fictional account of abolitionist John Brown, which won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2013 and has been adapted into a television miniseries. McBride's writing is characterized by its rich storytelling, deep empathy, and seamless blending of historical and fictional narratives, often reflecting themes of race, faith, and family. He has also written essays and articles for various publications, showcasing his versatility and commitment to exploring complex social issues.
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