James McBride Books

Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1857; the region is a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces. When John Brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area, an argument between Brown and Henry's master quickly turns violent. Henry is forced to leave town with Brown, who believes he's a girl.

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.

In September 1969, Sportcoat, a cranky old church deacon, enters the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn and shoots the local drug dealer at point-blank range. This act of violence sets off a chain of events that lies at the heart of the story. McBride vividly portrays the lives of those affected by the shooting: the victim, the African American and Latinx residents who witnessed the incident, white neighbors, local cops, members of the Five Ends Baptist Church, the neighborhood's Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself. As the narrative unfolds, it reveals the interconnectedness of these characters in the tumultuous landscape of 1960s New York. When the truth finally surfaces, McBride illustrates that not all secrets should remain hidden and that facing change with courage is essential for growth. He emphasizes that love's seeds are found in hope and compassion. With masterful storytelling and a deep faith in humanity, McBride crafts 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.

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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 neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe's theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe. As these characters' stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins of white, Christian America struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth

'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.

A vivid portrait of growing up, this haunting meditation on race and identity serves as a lyrical tribute from a son to his mother. Ruth McBride Jordan, a "light-skinned" woman who evades her ethnicity, fiercely loves her twelve black children. James McBride, her son, explores her past and his own heritage in a poignant debut. Growing up in the chaotic environment of Red Hook, Brooklyn, McBride and his eleven siblings were raised by a protective mother who guided them to cultural events, demanded academic excellence, and commanded respect. Initially, he viewed her as a source of embarrassment, only later uncovering the truth of her early life and struggles. Ruth, born Rachel Shilsky in Poland, fled to America with her family, facing anti-Semitism and racial tensions in Virginia. Her narrative reveals a loveless marriage, a cruel father, and the family she left behind. After moving to New York City at seventeen, she married a black minister and established the New Brown Memorial Baptist Church. Ruth taught her children that "God is the color of water," believing values transcend race. Despite facing adversity and racism, she ensured her children received college educations, earning her own degree at 65. Interwoven with his mother’s story, McBride shares his journey as a mixed-race child, his struggles, and eventual success. This work resonates with readers of all backgrounds.

»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.

Er war „Mr. Dynamite“, ein Ausnahmemusiker, rastlos und revolutionär, Ikone des schwarzen Amerika und Mann der unzähligen Gesichter. Doch wer war James Brown wirklich? James McBride macht sich auf die Suche nach dem Menschen hinter dem Mythos James Brown. Seine Reise führt in das ganz andere Amerika: die Südstaaten, Heimat der Unterdrückten und Überlebenskünstler.