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| Deacon King Kong by James McBride: A tale set in Brooklyn in the 1960's. |
In keeping with our New York theme this week, we're reviewing Deacon King Kong, a tale set in 1960's Brooklyn. BTS just came back from an extended stay in Brooklyn, a bit different than the setting of this story.
Although Cuffy Lambkin Jenkins wasn't a tea drinker, he did have a favorite beverage, a potent moonshine called "King Kong" produced by his best friend. A church deacon who went by the name of "Sportcoat", he had another moniker which he was known by in the Brooklyn housing projects he lived in, "Deacon King Kong". It defined his part time avocations: working at the church and drinking alcohol. But, there was a lot more that defined this man, who, at the age of 71 in 1969, shot a 19-year old drug dealer in broad daylight in the neighborhood plaza - a shock to the residents, and, perhaps, most of all to Sportcoat himself.
This month's Book Club de deux selection, Deacon King Kong, written by James McBride, was another great recommendation from the sister of Loretta, bueno amigo and other half of said book club. We met a few weeks ago for book discussion and we both agreed it was an interesting read and highlighted a time and society we knew little about. A question posed by our book club - "did your feelings change regarding Sportcoat from the first chapter to end of the book?" - gets to the heart of the story. It takes a while to get to know not only the Deacon, but all the characters in this poor Red Hook neighborhood, where the recent onset of drugs divide and jar a community.
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| In August, we stayed almost two weeks in Brooklyn. A view from the roof of our Brooklyn hotel. |
We agreed the tale of Sportcoat often verges on the fantastical and his journey from birth in North Carolina to his arrival in New York seems almost fable-like. Yet, it brings a cover of resilience and humor to, at times, a bleak existence, where opportunities are hard to come by for those in the Causing Housing Projects.
Mobsters, policemen and the Five Stars Baptist Church congregation coexist in this section of Brooklyn and their stories mingle and connect in unexpected ways. I won't give away the ending, but I will say, our Book Club de deux was not disappointed.
It did, however, have us questioning the style of the James McBride book. Do his other books take on the tone of the protagonist, intertwining wild tales with the realities of everyday life? Perhaps we need to read more of McBride to find out. I believe we have suggestion for a future book club choice. . .
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| Book Club du Deux for August |
***************Stop here for if you have not read the book SPOILER ALERT
A few unanswered questions posed by our book club:
What do you think happened to the Christmas Club fun?
What happened to Pudgy Fingers? He seemed more capable than earlier described, and then, he fell out of the narrative.
(Opinion that no one asked for): I vote for Miles Teller to play Tommy Elephante (aka "The Elephant") if there is a movie version of this book.
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