"Deacon King Kong" is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel that provides an insightful perspective on marginalized communities. James McBride's witty and brilliant storytelling presents a rich tapestry of complex characters that find themselves intertwined in unexpected ways. Through Sportcoat's violent act, McBride explores the themes of love and redemption, ultimately demonstrating that hope and compassion can overcome even the most challenging situations. This book is recommended for those who appreciate a captivating story with a strong message of faith and humanity.

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• Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction (2021)
• Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for Fiction (2021)
• Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction (2021)
• Kirkus Prize Nominee for Fiction (2020)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction (2020)

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 .45 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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