An antiques dealer discovers that a legendary toy commissioned by a Civil War General now sits in the home of a black minister in Queens. Five strangers find themselves thrown together and face unexpected judgment. An American president draws inspiration from a conversation he overhears in a stable. And members of The Five-Carat Soul Bottom Bone Band recount stories from their messy and hilarious lives.

These stories spring from the place where identity, humanity, and history converge. A collection of surprising, perceptive and evocative short stories from internationally bestselling novelist James McBride, Five Carat Soul is a moving exploration of our human condition.