James McBride's Deacon King Kong was first published in March 2020 by Riverhead Books. The novel, which is set in Brooklyn, New York in 1969, tells the story of an old church deacon who is known as Sportcoat. One day, Sportcoat takes a gun out of his pocket, walks outside of the church he works at, and shoots the local drug dealer. He is tired of the effect that drugs have had on his community and those who he cares about and realizes that unless he acts, the problem will continue. As the novel unravels, readers discover that Sportcoat's motivations are a bit more complicated than that—and that his act of violence involves more people than just Sportcoat, too.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama included McBride's novel on his "Favorite Books of the Year" list. Obama's feelings are representative of critics and audiences alike. Deacon King Kong received very positive reviews upon its publication. The New York Times liked the novel. In their review, they wrote that they enjoyed the novel "a lot" but that it "fortunately is also deeply felt, beautifully written and profound." NPR.com even liked the novel more than The New York Times. In their review of McBride's novel, they wrote that "Deacon King Kong is fast, deep, complex, and hilarious. McBride's prose is shimmering and moving, a living thing that has its own rhythm, pulls you in from the first page and never lets go."
