James McBride Books

Now a Showtime limited series starring Ethan Hawke and Daveed Diggs Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction From the bestselling author of Deacon King Kong (an Oprah Book Club pick) and The Color of Water comes the story of a young boy born a slave who joins John Brown’s antislavery crusade—and who must pass as a girl to survive. Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1856--a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces--when legendary abolitionist John Brown arrives. When an argument between Brown and Henry's master turns violent, Henry is forced to leave town--along with Brown, who believes Henry to be a girl and his good luck charm. Over the ensuing months, Henry, whom Brown nicknames Little Onion, conceals his true identity to stay alive. Eventually Brown sweeps him into the historic raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859--one of the great catalysts for the Civil War. An absorbing mixture of history and imagination, and told with McBride's meticulous eye for detail and character, The Good Lord Bird is both a rousing adventure and a moving exploration of identity and survival.

Now a Showtime limited series starring Ethan Hawke and Daveed Diggs Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction From the bestselling author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, Deacon King Kong (an Oprah Book Club pick) and The Color of Water comes the story of a young boy born a slave who joins John Brown’s antislavery crusade—and who must pass as a girl to survive. Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1856--a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces--when legendary abolitionist John Brown arrives. When an argument between Brown and Henry's master turns violent, Henry is forced to leave town--along with Brown, who believes Henry to be a girl and his good luck charm. Over the ensuing months, Henry, whom Brown nicknames Little Onion, conceals his true identity to stay alive. Eventually Brown sweeps him into the historic raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859--one of the great catalysts for the Civil War. An absorbing mixture of history and imagination, and told with McBride's meticulous eye for detail and character, The Good Lord Bird is both a rousing adventure and a moving exploration of identity and survival.

As a boy in Brooklyn’s Red Hook projects, James McBride knew his mother was different. But when he asked about it, she’d simply say ‘I’m light-skinned.’ Later he wondered if he was different too, and asked his mother if he was black or white. ‘You’re a human being,’ she snapped. ‘Educate yourself or you’ll be a nobody!’ And when James asked what colour God was, she said ‘God is the colour of water.’ As an adult, McBride finally persuaded his mother to tell her story - the story of a rabbi’s daughter, born in Poland and raised in the South, who fled to Harlem, married a black man, founded a Baptist church, and put twelve children through college.

From the author of the National Book Award-winning The Good Lord Bird comes a wise and witty novel exploring the aftermath of a shooting. In September 1969, Sportcoat, a cranky old church deacon, enters the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in Brooklyn and shoots the local drug dealer at point-blank range. The reasons behind this act of violence and its consequences form the core of the narrative. McBride vividly portrays the lives of those impacted by the shooting: the victim, the African-American and Latinx witnesses, white neighbors, local cops, members of the Five Ends Baptist Church, Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself. As the story unfolds, the interconnectedness of the characters’ lives amidst the tumult of 1960s New York becomes apparent. When the truth finally surfaces, McBride reveals that not all secrets should remain hidden, emphasizing the importance of facing change without fear and highlighting that love can flourish through hope and compassion. With masterful storytelling and a deep faith in humanity, McBride delivers a novel that is as engaging as his previous works, showcasing that love and faith reside within us all.

"Inspired by a historical incident that took place in the village of St. Anna di Stazzema in Tuscany and by the experiences of the famed Buffalo Soldiers of the 92nd Division in Italy during World War II, Miracle at St. Anna is a singular evocation of war, cruelty, passion, heroism, and love. It is the story of four American soldiers, the villagers among whom they take refuge, a band of partisans, and an Italian boy, all of whom encounter a miracle - though perhaps the true miracle lies in themselves."--BOOK JACKET.

WATERSTONES FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER 2024 THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER BARACK OBAMA'S BOOK OF THE YEAR PICK AMAZON.COM NO.1 BOOK OF THE YEAR 'I loved this book' BONNIE GARMUS 'A generous, compassionate book about the power of love and community' LOUISE KENNEDY 'I can't recommend this one highly enough ' HARLAN COBEN 'THIS is his best book' ANN PATCHETT In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighbourhood where Jewish immigrants and African Americans lived side by side through the 1920s and '30s. In this novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them, James McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community - heaven and earth - that sustain us.

'A formidable free-style book that isn't straight biography but a mix of history, street-level investigative reporting, hagiography, Deep South sociology, music criticism, memoir and some fiery preaching' Rolling Stone magazine A Guardian best music book of 2016 The music of James Brown was almost a genre in its own right, and he was one of the biggest and most influential cultural figures of the twentieth century. But the singer known as the 'Hardest Working Man in Show Business' was also an immensely troubled, misunderstood and complicated man. Award-winning writer James McBride, himself a professional musician, has undertaken a journey of discovery in search of the 'real' James Brown, delving into the heartbreaking saga of Brown's childhood and destroyed estate, and uncovering the hidden history of Brown's early years.

'I loved this book' BONNIE GARMUS'A generous, compassionate book about the power of love and community' LOUISE KENNEDY'I can't recommend this one highly enough ' HARLAN COBEN'THIS is his best book' ANN PATCHETTTHE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERBARACK OBAMA'S BOOK OF THE YEAR PICKAMAZON.COM #1 BOOK OF THE YEARBOOK OF THE YEAR IN: THE GUARDIAN, NEW YORKER, NEW YORK TIMES, TIME MAGAZINE, HARPER'S BAZAAR, OPRAH DAILY AND WASHINGTON POSTWINNER OF THE 2023 KIRKUS FICTION PRIZEIn 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighbourhood where Jewish immigrants and African Americans lived side by side through the 1920s and '30s.In this novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them, James McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community - heaven and earth - that sustain us.

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»Ein Erzählband wie ein Flipperautomat: James McBride in Bestform.« New York Times Book Review Ein Spielzeug-Sammler, der im Haus eines armen Predigers eine sensationelle Entdeckung macht. Ein Waisenjunge, der über die Schlachtfelder des amerikanischen Bürgerkriegs wandert und glaubt, der Sohn Abraham Lincolns zu sein. Fünf junge Musiker einer Band aus einem Vorort von Pittsburgh, die feststellen müssen, dass überall in ihrem Viertel dunkle Geheimnisse lauern. Ein Löwe im Zoo, der eine plötzliche Ahnung bekommt von der Schönheit des Lebens. Ein Schwergewichtsboxer, der boxt wie Muhammad Ali, als es darum geht, den Torwächter der Hölle zum Kampf gegen die ewige Verdammnis herauszufordern… Was macht den Mensch zum Menschen? James McBride erzählt von Krieg und Geschichte, von Herkunft und Identität, vom Versuch, die Welt zu verstehen und sich selbst – fantasievoll, skurril, berührend und immer überraschend.