James Brown, a poor Southern black child with an instinctual genius for entertaining.  He could make us “feel good” whether he did or not.  An entertainer who came from, and through, desperate times and circumstances whose legacy and an estate are still under contention.  James Brown is thoughtfully considered here by one of the best writers around today, James McBride (The Color of Water, The Good Lord Bird).

Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided to me by Random House Publishing Group – Random House / Spiegel & Grau via NetGalley.  I would like to thank the publisher and the author for providing me this opportunity. All opinions expressed herein are my own.