Order of James McBride Books

James McBride is an American author of historical fiction and non-fiction books. He is also a musician. James grew up in a large family with an African-American father and a white Jewish mother. His memoir, The Color of Water, details his upbringing growing up in a poor family in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. The book spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list and is read in high school and universities across the United States.

James McBride made his debut as a published author in 1996 with the aforementioned The Color of Water. His first novel was Miracle at St. Anna, published in 2002. Below is a list of James McBride’s books in order of when they were originally released:

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Miracle at St. Anna	(2001)
Song Yet Sung	(2008)
The Good Lord Bird	(2013)
Deacon King Kong	(2020)

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Five-Carat Soul

(2017)

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

The Color of Water	(1996)
Kill 'em and Leave	(2016)

Publication Order of Anthologies

Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All

(2013)

Note: Hard Listening was written with other authors.

If You Like James McBride Books, You’ll Love…

• Jesmyn Ward
• R.A. Robinson
• David Fuller

James McBride Synopsis: Song Yet Sung is a standalone title by James McBride. Leading up to the Civil War, a runaway slave named Liz Spocott breaks free from her captors and escapes into the labyrinthine swamps of Maryland’s eastern shore, setting loose a drama of violence and hope among slave catchers, plantation owners, watermen, runaway slaves, and free blacks. Liz is near death, wracked by disturbing visions of the future, and armed with “the Code,” a fiercely guarded cryptic means of communication for slaves on the run. Liz’s flight and her dreams of tomorrow will thrust all those near her toward a mysterious, redemptive fate.