A review by guinness74
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An outstanding work of historical fiction that tells the tale of Old John Brown. McBride has conjured an eyewitness to the Harpers Ferry saga and follows them from Kansas to Virginia, fateful bloody step by fateful bloody step. The novel is littered with historical characters who mesh evenly with the ones who might have existed, but the world has no record of. And even though you know the outcome (at least, one hopes you learned it), it is an exciting read, particularly so during the final chapters.
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