An absorbing mixture of history and imagination, and told with mcbrides meticulous eye for detail and character, the good lord bird is both a rousing adventure and a moving exploration of identity and survival. From james mcbride, author of the national book awardwinning the good lord bird, comes a wise and witty novel about what happens to the witnesses of a shooting. The good lord bird is told from the point of view of onion joshua johnsonlionel, blackish, a fictional enslaved boy, who is part of john browns ethan hawke motley crew of abolitionist soldiers during the time of bleeding kansas, eventually participating in the famous 1859 raid on the army depot at harpers ferry. Soon to be a showtime limited series starring ethan hawke winner of the national book award for fiction a washington pos.
Winner of the 20 national book award for fiction a washington post, publishers weekly, oprah magazine top 10 book of the year. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The good lord bird, by james mcbride james mcbrides the good lord bird follows 10yearold exslave henry, known as the onion, as he travels with abolitionist john brown. The good lord bird book the seattle public library. Click to read more about the good lord bird by james mcbride. The good lord bird from the bestselling author of the color of water and song yet sung comes the story of a young boy born a slave who joins john browns antislavery crusadeand who. The good lord bird book by james mcbride thriftbooks. Ivorybilled woodpecker is the official name given to the species by the international ornithologists union ioc.
The good lord bird by james mcbride read by michael boatman the winner of the 20 national book award for fiction. Henry and bob found that the region was overrun by armed patrols and. The good lord bird npr coverage of the good lord bird by james mcbride. Nov 21, 20 the good lord bird excerpt this years national book award winner looks at the life of a preachers son in the kansas territory. Aug 30, 20 the good lord bird from the bestselling author of the color of water and song yet sung comes the story of a young boy born a slave who joins john browns antislavery crusadeand who must. James mcbride on his novel the good lord bird the new.
The novel begins with the find of a fireproof box containing the written history i. Book club discussion good lord bird pritzker military. Henry shackleford is a young slave living in the kansas territory in 1857, when the region is a battleground between anti and proslavery forces. Nov 25, 20 james mcbride was so sure that his novel the good lord bird was not going to win the national book award that in the final moments before the prize was announced last wednesday at a black. Aug 18, 20 second, the good lord bird is not, in the end, a roast of john brown. The good lord bird and its lucky feathers are the most important symbols in the novel, and give the novel its title. Mcbride skillfully uses wit and suspense to spin a compelling tale that also educates the reader about the early abolitionist movement and those it affected. The good lord bird by mcbride, james, 1957publication date 20 topics. Read the good lord bird a novel by james mcbride available from rakuten kobo. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Mar 02, 2014 the good lord bird, last years national book award winner, is a tale of the antebellum south perhaps like none youve ever heard. The good lord bird excerpt by james mcbride longform.
En espanol midlife comeback kid ethan hawke tells aarp about turning 50, marriage advice, and his eightpart tv version of james mcbrides national book awardwinning novel the good lord bird showtime, feb. The good lord bird sings like a bird set free, with a voice that ought to join huck finn, the narrators of toni morrisons jazz, and junot diazs oscar wao as a voice which is here to tell us who we are in music so lovely we almost forget it was born in terrible pain. Fleeing his violent master at the side of abolitionist john brown at the height of the slavery debate in midnineteenthcentury kansas territory, henry pretends to be a girl to hide his identity throughout the raid on harpers ferry in 1859. The good lord bird is a novel about race, religion, gender, the american frontier, history and the ivorybilled woodpecker the bird of the title, because people who saw it were so astonished they cried out, good lord. The good lord bird ebook by james mcbride rakuten kobo. The diary of clotee, a slave girl, belmont plantation, virginia 1859 dear america fullonlinefull. And when he sees that tree, that dead tree thats taking all the nutrition and good things from the forest floor. At the time, the lord god bird was already on the verge of extinction. The good lord bird by james mcbride the washington post. The good lord bird is a 20 novel by james mcbride about a slave who unites with john brown in browns abolitionist mission.
This study guide consists of approximately 116 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the good lord bird. I recommend the good lord bird to anyone looking to explore one of americas most significant turning points through a novel that offers both entertainment and historical background. Curation project on the good lord bird by james mcbride. Buy a cheap copy of the good lord bird book by james mcbride. The characters know that there is a far worse place for blacks. When john brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area, an argument. Second, the good lord bird is not, in the end, a roast of john brown. The good lord bird by james mcbride is about a slave boy, henry shackleford, who becomes part of john browns antislavery movement. The setting of the good lord bird, far from the deep south in the lawless but slightly less racially oppressive kansas territory, is perhaps what makes it possible for mcbride to marry slavery with comedy. Winner of the 20 national book award for fiction a washington post, publishers weekly, oprah magazine top 10 book of the year a magnificent new novel by the bestselling author james mcbride. James mcbride was so sure that his novel the good lord bird was not going to win the national book award that in the final moments before the. The good lord bird centers around the main character, henry shackleford, who travels with a fictionalized version of the civil war era john brown, an antislavery fighter who had his famous stand. Mar 21, 2015 join the pmml book club for a discussion of james mcbrides historical novel, the good lord bird winner of the 20 national book award for fiction. Marie arana marie arana, a native of peru, is the former editor of the posts book world and the author of the.
As we reach the novels final pages, after we are reminded that his crusade was a key trigger for. Groundbreakingfold0 submitted 5 minutes ago by groundbreakingfold0. The ivorybilled woodpecker is sometimes referred to as the holy grail bird because of its rarity and elusiveness and the lord god bird or the good god bird both based on the exclamations of awed onlookers. Onion is a slave and works in his fathers barbershop. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Ethan hawke stars as john brown in the good lord bird. He is saved from slavery by john browns forces, the pottawatomie rifles. A young slave living in the contested territory of kansas, henry shackleford, is liberated by john brown, who will later try to ignite a slave revolution by attacking harpers ferry in what is then virginia.
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