For whatever reason, I am having a hard time finding historical fiction that I actually want to read in 2020. I try to avoid stories about World War II, but somehow end up reading them anyway. Maybe this year I am finally succeeding, and my deeper searching has brought me to Deacon King Kong by James McBride. Set in the Brooklyn during the tumultuous 60s, I figured this would be an interesting ride at the very least.
The Situation: It is a fairly normal day outside the Causeway Housing Projects, or the Cause, in Brooklyn, New York, when a well-known old drunk that goes by the name of Sportcoat inexplicably walks up to a young drug dealer, and shoots the boy point-blank. No one knows why it happened, not even Sportcoat himself, as later that same day he will deny knowing anything about it. He has no memory of shooting Deems, who is someone he has known since the young man was little, having been his Sunday school teacher and his baseball coach. But what everyone seems to understand - everyone except Sportcoat - is this action will have repercussions that will be felt all over Brooklyn: from the church folk at the Five Ends Baptist Church; to every drug outfit, not just Deems and his crew; to the families who live in the various housing projects in the area; and to the business men, legitimate and otherwise, who have set up in the area. Even the police are affected, because in 1969 Brooklyn, an incident like this only leads to headaches and dead bodies.
The Problem: Deems may have survived the shooting, but now Sportcoat must be dealt with, and the old man is too drunk most of the time to understand the trouble he has caused. Not only does Deems want him dealt with, but Deems' boss as well. It is bad enough that there is already dissension in their ranks, and this incident seems to be the thing to lead everyone to action, and also more distrust. The police know something big is coming as well, and they are not excited about it. The good church folk at Five Ends are used to the never-ending trouble around the Cause, and they are certainly used to old Sportcoat, but they also must wait and see what kind of trouble the old drunk has gotten himself into. In the weeks that follow, the lives of nearly everyone involved in the incident will overlap and intersect, whether they want them to or not. Even those that would rather mind their own business get sucked in, proving that it does no good to try to live in a bubble. In the end, everything is revealed, proving that what we see is not necessarily the whole story.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set in 1969 in New York City, primarily in the projects of Brooklyn. The residents of the Causeway Housing Projects are mostly black, but there are also LatinX residents who deal with the drug dealers, the drama, the prejudice, and also the excitement of the mysterious once a month cheese delivery. Sportcoat lies at the center of the story, a man with many names, including that of Deacon King Kong. Having recently lost his wife, he is often seen talking to her ghost. Through him, we get to the history of the Cause, as well as those around him: his two best friends (who cannot stand one another despite being surprisingly similar); the young drug dealer Sportcoat shot; the other residents of the Cause; and the mostly older members of the Five Ends Baptist Church, who look after their own while also being the first to gossip about them. It is a snapshot of late 1960s Brooklyn, complete with the crime, drugs, and racism, with every group blaming the downfall of Brooklyn on the others.
My Verdict: This is a hell of a story. From the beginning to the end there is no limit to the colorful characters and crazy situations that will keep any reader turning the page, if only to find out what happens to all of these people. And the mysteries that are woven into the plot are done so with such subtlety and grace that it is easy to forget about them, until they make their presence felt, and you realize they have not gone anywhere, but like the characters, we simply were not paying attention. Sportcoat is a frustrating protagonist. The only thing that would make his story more exhausting is if he were narrating it. Thankfully, the reader also gets to follow dynamic characters like Sister Gee, Elefante, and even the cop, Potts. It is an adventure about faith, change, community, and the secrets that are easy to see if we would only look.
Favorite Moment: When Sportcoat proves to Deems that he is both crazier and more sane than anyone realized.
Favorite Character: Sister Gee is the kind of woman I want to grow up to be, except for of course the loveless marriage and life in the crime-ridden Cause. She is strong, resolute, and knows more than people realize, and manages to not be too loud about it.
Recommended Reading: I recommend The Sellout by Paul Beatty. It is not historical fiction, but it does address issues of race and one man's often absurd attempts so better his community.
My Verdict: This is a hell of a story. From the beginning to the end there is no limit to the colorful characters and crazy situations that will keep any reader turning the page, if only to find out what happens to all of these people. And the mysteries that are woven into the plot are done so with such subtlety and grace that it is easy to forget about them, until they make their presence felt, and you realize they have not gone anywhere, but like the characters, we simply were not paying attention. Sportcoat is a frustrating protagonist. The only thing that would make his story more exhausting is if he were narrating it. Thankfully, the reader also gets to follow dynamic characters like Sister Gee, Elefante, and even the cop, Potts. It is an adventure about faith, change, community, and the secrets that are easy to see if we would only look.
Favorite Moment: When Sportcoat proves to Deems that he is both crazier and more sane than anyone realized.
Favorite Character: Sister Gee is the kind of woman I want to grow up to be, except for of course the loveless marriage and life in the crime-ridden Cause. She is strong, resolute, and knows more than people realize, and manages to not be too loud about it.
Recommended Reading: I recommend The Sellout by Paul Beatty. It is not historical fiction, but it does address issues of race and one man's often absurd attempts so better his community.
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