Deacon King Kong by James McBride 5 stars

[Sue]

This book is set in 1969 in The Causes housing project in Brooklyn.

The projects are in a period of transition. Earlier Italian dock workers have been displaced by Black and Hispanic families. The new and old groups largely ignore each other, except where they intersect in criminal activity, and in a few isolated cases, actual friendship.

There is everything you would expect in this setting. A Black Baptist church at the center of the community, but drug-dealing is also emerging as a focal point. As the book opens, the drug dealers politely wait until the church ladies are finished socializing in the morning before taking up their post at the flagpole.

This is largely a good-natured community, supporting each other as best as they can. But also everything that comes with a small community - everyone knows everyone else's business. Or thinks they do anyway. Everyone is predictable - until they're not.

The story itself reflects the whole community, with interwoven histories, plans, secrets and intrigue.

A great peek at a moment in time and history, with flawed but likeable characters and some crazy situations, just weird enough to be believable. This book would make a great movie!!

[Karin]

This is my second favourite novel by McBride and reminds me of the book I keep thinking I need to write a review on; I just reread my favourite one, Song Yet Sung.

Ironically, I loathed the first part of this book, but as I kept reading liked it better and better until it was 4.5 stars.

[Meli]

@Karin - We've chatted about this book every time it pops up, but I didn't realize you loathed the first half! Interesting. I look forward to reading this again someday. It was such an enjoyable experience for me.

[Joanne]

This has been on my shelf since it came out...so many books, so little time😣

[Meli]

Joanne wrote: "This has been on my shelf since it came out...so many books, so little time😣"

I know! What can you do :(

[Linda C]

I read this for one of my 2 F2F book groups and really liked it. I liked the mix of humor and pathos. However, the group was pretty split about it. Only a couple others liked it. Most didn't.

So I nominated it for my other group and we are reading it this month. We meet next Thursday, so we'll see how this one goes.

[Meli]

I am curious how the next group will like it.
I read it for F2F book club also and we were also split. I think some people were bored by the story.

[Karin]

Meli wrote: "@Karin - We've chatted about this book every time it pops up, but I didn't realize you loathed the first half! Interesting. I look forward to reading this again someday. It was such an enjoyable ex..."

Not the first half, just the first c. 50 pages. Then it started going up.