Deacon King Kong by James McBride

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

📚 One of Barack Obama’s “Favorite Books of the Year” – Oprah’s Book Club Pick 📚

In September 1969, a bumbling and ill-tempered church deacon named Sportcoat stumbles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn. In front of everyone present, Sportcoat takes out a .38 revolver from his pocket and shoots the project’s drug dealer at close range.

The motivations behind this desperate act of violence and the ensuing consequences form the core of James McBride’s poignant and humorous novel, “Deacon King Kong.” This book marks McBride’s return since winning the National Book Award with “The Good Lord Bird.” “Deacon King Kong” paints a vivid picture of the individuals impacted by the shooting: the victim, the African-American and Latinx residents who witnessed the incident, the white neighbors, the local police tasked with the investigation, the members of the Five Ends Baptist Church where Sportcoat served as a deacon, the neighborhood’s Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself.

As the story develops, it becomes evident that the lives of these characters, caught in the turbulent atmosphere of 1960s New York, intersect in unexpected ways. McBride skillfully reveals that some truths should not remain hidden, that personal growth necessitates confronting change without fear, and that love and compassion are the seeds of hope.

With his expert storytelling abilities and unwavering belief in humanity, James McBride delivers a captivating novel in “Deacon King Kong,” matching the immersive nature of “The Good Lord Bird” and the emotional honesty of “The Color of Water.” This insightful and witty tale demonstrates that love and faith reside within each of us.

📕 More books, here. 📕