The Good Lord Bird

McBride, James 1957- (author.).

Summary: "Henry Shackleford is a slave boy in Kansas Territory in 1856, when the region is a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces. When the legendary abolitionist John Brown arrives in the area, an argument between Brown and Henry's master quickly turns violent. Henry is forced to leave town-with Brown, who believes he's a girl. As he adjusts to his new life, Henry-whom the eccentric Brown nicknames "Onion" and sees as his good luck charm-conceals his true identity to stay alive. Little Onion is forced to rely on his ingenuity to survive escalating violence between Brown with his ragtag army and the slaveholders, who are not always the devils they seem to be. He strikes out on his own, but not for long, as Brown returns and sweeps Onion into his historic, tragic raid on Harpers Ferry, which will be one of the great catalysts for the Civil War" -- Front jacket flap.

Item details

ISBN: 9781594486340
ISBN: 1594486344
Physical Description: print
417 pages ; 24 cm
Publisher: New York : Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2013.
Copyright: ©2013

Contents / Notes

General Note:	"A novel" -- Jacket.
Formatted Contents Note:	Prologue -- Part I: Free deeds (Kansas) -- Meet the Lord -- The Good Lord Bird -- The Old Man's army -- Massacre -- Nigger Bob -- Prisoner again -- Black Jack -- A bad omen -- A sign from God -- Part II: Slave deeds (Missouri) -- A real gunslinger -- Pie -- Sibonia -- Insurrection -- A terrible discovery -- Squeezed -- Busting out -- Part III: Legend (Virginia) -- Rolling into history -- Meeting a great man -- Smelling like bear -- Rousing the hive -- The plan -- The spy -- The word -- The rail man -- Annie -- The things heaven sent -- Escape -- Attack -- A bowl of confusion -- Un-hiving the bees -- Last stand -- Getting gone.
Awards Note:	National Book Award for fiction, 2013.