Deacon King Kong by James McBride is a story about a man named Sportcoat. That is not his real name but that is the only name people actually know him by. Sportcoat is a mostly harmless old man who lives in a project known as the Cause Houses in 1969. He is a drunk who frequently hallucinates talking to his dead wife Hettie. One day he walks into the area known as the flagpole and confronts a young man named Deems Clemens, a former baseball player coached by Sportcoat who grew up to be the local drug dealer. During the confrontation for unknown reasons Sportcoat shoots Deems, though he later claims he doesn’t remember doing so. This one act sends ripples and waves across the projects as things start steadily heading into an inevitable avalanche. The men Deems works for become determined to exact payment and retribution on Sportcoat for harming Deems. However, Deems starts realizing that maybe he wants more from life than to be stuck as a drug dealer forever. Intermixed with this we see some of the other characters from the Cause Houses as they work on handling the unexpected fallout in their own lives.
I knew this one would probably be a good read but I must admit that I was still surprised by just how good it actually was. It told a story of a man who somehow did something horrible and yet managed to find a way to move on from it. At the same time it told the story of how that one action impacted almost everyone around them while showing just how interconnected people in a community like that really are. The old lady Sportcoat worked for was the mother of the local Italian mobster whose father helped build the church Sportcoat was a deacon at. The mobster had ties to the drug dealers that Deems worked for and so on and so forth. It essentially showed this tiny microcosm buried within this giant city. Perhaps most importantly though it showed just how human people are and the complex things that help make them who they are. This is definitely realistic fiction at its finest. As you have probably gathered I really enjoyed reading this one but I will admit that there were a few times I was saddened by the story. It’s one thing to know that situations like this one exist but to read about it on the page is potentially even more poignant. At the very least it really helps the situation hit home and make you really think about what that kind of life would have actually been like. I am beyond impressed with how well this book handles that situation as it showcases it with a honesty and compassion that is so frequently lacking in life. This book gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.
This would probably be classified as contemporary fiction or possibly historical fiction though it only takes place a few decades ago. It would probably appeal the most to people who enjoy books that would be that kind of a mix. I would suggest that any serious reader consider reading this though irregardless of what they prefer to read. This one is definitely worth the consideration. Before you consider it though, keep in mind that it deals with some really heavy topics such as gun violence and shooting, drug dealing, the Italian mob, and any number of similar things that are so frequently present in situations like this book deals with. That being said, if the reader is comfortable with those topics I would still feel comfortable recommending it to slightly younger readers as well but not anyone younger than about fifteen or sixteen though. If you decide to try it out, consider sharing your thoughts in the comments as it is worth the read.