Deacon King Kong

Deacon King Kong is a New York Times bestseller about community, race, and religion from the National Book Award winner, James McBride.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK
CHOSEN BY BARACK OBAMA AS A FAVOURITE READ
TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR, NEW YORK TIMES & WASHINGTON POST

'Brilliantly imagined, larger than life, a tragicomedic epic.' - JOYCE CAROL OATES

'Deeply felt, beautifully written and profoundly humane.' - JUNOT DIAZ

'The sheer volume of invention in Deacon King Kong commands awe.' - NEW YORKER

'Among the greatest American storytellers of our time.' - BOOKPAGE

The year is 1969. In a housing project in south Brooklyn, a shambling old church deacon called Sportcoat shoots—for no apparent reason—the local drug-dealer who used to be part of the church's baseball team. The repercussions of that moment draw in the whole community, from Sportcoat's best friend, Hot Sausage, to the local Italian mobsters, the police (corrupt and otherwise), and the stalwart ladies of the Five Ends Baptist Church.

Deacon King Kong is a book about a community under threat, about the ways people pull together in an age when the old rules are being rewritten. It is very funny in places, and heartbreaking in others. From a prize-winning storyteller, this New York Times bestseller shows us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, and that the communities we build are fragile but vital.

From the winner of a National Book Award and author of the bestselling memoir, The Color of Water, and The Good Lord Bird, a TV series starring Ethan Hawke.

'A hilarious, pitch-perfect comedy set in the Brooklyn projects of the late 1960s. This alone may qualify it as one of the year's best novels.' - The Washington Post

What Goodreads readers are saying:

• * 'Deacon King Kong is one of those novels whose brilliance sneaks up on you. I haven't been this pleasantly surprised by a book in a while.'
• * 'I do believe I just finished one of my all time favourite books. I loved every minute spent with Sportcoat and his community. A good old-fashioned yarn shot through with truth, spirit, and humour. I LOVED it!'
• * 'This book was a balm for my soul, a portrait of a black church community circa 1969 with sweet characters (well, most of them), interconnections that stretch back decades, and a plot with more than one mystery at its heart.'
• * 'Deacon has the texture of folklore and fable mixed with the unexpected rhythms of jazz and the noisy streets of late 1960s Brooklyn.'
• * 'The ending was one of those where you clutch your heart and want to hug the book (or your Kindle).'