? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Deacon King Kong ’s anti-hero, Sportcoat, is a beloved and slightly eccentric church deacon in 1969 Brooklyn. After shooting the local drug dealer in a low-income housing area, he sets off a catalyst of events involving the whole community, the church, the local Italian mafia, and the police. James McBride’s novel has been added to Oprah’s Book Club, and with good reason: His masterful prose brings the neighborhood to life in all its glory and all its shame. Characters in the novel are not neatly good or bad — each individual is a complex ecosystem on their own, each with their own voice, background, and dream. They are all, as a community usually is, intertwined in more convoluted ways that is immediately apparent. There is a thread of humor woven throughout the novel, and McBride’s dialogue is sharply written, witty, and absurdly insightful. At its core, and despite the tragedy and the struggle, Deacon King Kong is a celebration of community. You can find copies at Diwan, currently on sale for EGP 213, and Cherry Blossom Books for EGP 270.

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