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 projects 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 ofDeacon King Kong, James McBrides funny, moving novel and his first since his National Book AwardwinningThe Good Lord Bird. InDeacon 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 neighborhoods Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself.

As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characterscaught in the tumultuous swirl of 1960s New Yorkoverlap 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. Written by James McBride. Paperback; 384 pages.

#21107306