Deacon King Kong: A Novel by James McBride

Deacon King Kong is a powerful and compelling novel by New York Times bestseller author, James McBride. It is set in 1969 in the Cabrini Green housing project in New York. The main protagonist is Deacon Cuffy Lambkin, an octogenarian and drunkard who is both beloved and feared by the residents of Cabrini Green. As Cuffy begins his daily rounds in the housing project, collecting bottles to resell for drinking money, he shoots off a gun in a popular local club, resulting in a disastrous chain of events that endangers Cuffy, the members of the club, and the entire neighborhood.

The story follows Cuffy’s slow and steady transformation throughout the novel. He begins as a grumpy old man, constantly drinking and quarrelling with his neighbors. As the story progresses, Cuffy slowly starts to open up and become a father figure to the members of the club. His gruff exterior begins to show signs of gentleness as he finds peace in the changing skyline of Cabrini Green, the changing beat of the music, and the hope of the young people sitting on their stoops, dreaming of brighter days.

Cuffy’s best friend and fellow church deacon, Sportcoat, is another key figure in the novel. He is determined to get to the bottom of Cuffy’s shooting incident and discovers a clue that ties the entire community together. Sportcoat’s investigations force him to confront his own past, as well as the tumultuous history of Cabrini Green. As memories of his deceased wife, parents, and friends come flooding back to him, Sportcoat begins to understand and accept his place among his community.

The novel takes a deep dive into the structural racism and injustice that the residents of the housing project deal with on a daily basis. The injustice that has affected generations of black Americans is explored through the lives of the characters and the oppression they feel.

The story follows Cuffy and Sportcoat as they traverse the complex and sometimes overwhelming world of Cabrini Green. With Cuffy slowly rediscovering his past and Sportcoat slowly reconciling with his, the novel becomes a powerful exploration of how racism and injustice impact people’s lives and the importance of facing the past in order to move forward. Deacon King Kong is a stunning and emotional novel that dives deep into the struggles and joys of life in an inner city.