The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

              Henry Shackleford was a young slave boy in 1856 when he happened across the path of the famous and feared abolitionist, John Brown. His father was killed and he was freed from his owner after Brown was confronted by Pro-slavers in the Kansas Territory where Henry was living. Old Man Brown believed Henry was a girl, and unintentionally set up the disguise that would keep Henry alive while in Brown’s company. Through his eyes we learn the history of Old John Brown, his passion for the Lord and his fight for the freedom of slaves which would eventually lead to the beginning of the Civil War. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman make appearances in the novel as Brown consults with both in his quest.  For almost four years Henry lived his life as a girl, protecting his own skin. During that time we see the sacrifices made by Old Man Brown, the bravery of slaves and those who would risk their lives to set them free.

                The Good Lord Bird is a historical fiction novel that used the mask of a coward to tell a story of bravery. Make no mistake about it, Henry was a coward who was set up on saving his own skin. Once he realized how advantageous it was to live his life as a girl, he played along gladly. He watched other men come and go proudly risking their necks for his “kind” while he wouldn’t lift a finger to fight for the cause. There were many moments throughout the novel when Henry would reflect on his own fear, the fear of the other slaves and feel guilty. But that guilt was not enough to make him come out of hiding. His plight was definitely an ongoing theme in the novel because it wasn’t just him that was unwillingly to fight. John Brown, a white man, was willing and ready to fight to the end for his cause but whenever he reached out to the masses of slaves to fight for themselves, they were afraid and rightfully so. No one knew who to trust, and it could cost you your life to trust in the wrong person.

                I am a huge fan of historical fiction novels and this novel was written well with just the right amount of fact and fiction to keep me interested. I always feel like a historical fiction novel is a success if it makes me want to research the topic at hand once I’ve finished. This novel fits the bill. McBride took an unconventional approach to telling the story by having our narrator play a young boy in drag but it made the story somewhat amusing. Henry is a man during the retelling and wise enough now to admit his faults and truly reflect on the situation.

 I thought this was a great read and give it 4 out of 5 stars. It does get repetitive at times and the language reflects that of the times, so expect to see “nigger” more times in a page than you would like to hear in your life. I recommend it because it was an honest novel that exposed the actions of those willing to fight against slavery in the last 1850’s.