Deacon King Kong is a novel by James McBride. It notably won the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence for Fiction, Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction, and Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Narrative The story unfolds in September 1969 Brooklyn and centers around volatile Cuffy Lambkin, nicknamed "Sportcoat". Sportcoat, a heavy drinker and church deacon, shocks his community by publicly shooting a young drug dealer, Deems Clemens, in broad daylight at the Cause Houses housing project. The incident sets off a chain of events involving the church community, local gangsters, the police, and residents of the housing complex. As secrets about Sportcoat, Deems, and others come to light, the novel explores their interconnected lives during a period of social and personal upheaval.
Release It was published in the United States on March 3, 2020.
Awards Year Award Category Result Ref. 2020 Booklist Editors' Choice Adult Audio Goodreads Choice Awards Historical Fiction Kirkus Prize Fiction New York City Book Award — 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence Fiction Anisfield-Wolf Book Award Fiction Audie Award Literary Fiction & Classics Dayton Literary Peace Prize Fiction Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award — Thurber Prize for American Humor —
References
External links
Deacon King Kong on Goodreads