The Good Lord Bird

"You may know the story of John Brown’s unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry, but author James McBride’s retelling of the events leading up to it is so imaginative, and at times comic, you’ll race to the finish. The tale is told by a young slave from the Kansas Territory, Henry Shackleford, who’s around 12 when he’s freed by Brown — who mistakes him for a girl. It’s an error that goes uncorrected, and Henry, dubbed “Little Onion” by his new companion, finds the disguise useful as he travels with Brown and his men. Onion meets more than one historical character on his journey — there’s even an outlandish vignette starring a drunken Frederick Douglass. But through Onion’s eyes, it’s the famed abolitionist he calls “Old Man” who really comes alive — radical and obsessive, and ultimately doomed. This book was also the winner of the 2013 National Book Award for fiction."

"I’m pleased to report that McBride deserved every bit of the praise."

"It's a masterful, hilarious work by a gifted writer whose sense of timing, comedy and irony are delicious."