The stories in Five-Carat Soul--none of them ever published before--spring from the place where identity, humanity, and history converge. McBride explores the ways we learn from the world and the people around us. An antiques dealer discovers that a legendary toy commissioned by Civil War General Robert E. Lee 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 own messy and hilarious lives. The under Graham railroad box car set -- Buck boy -- Ray-Ray's picture box -- Blub -- Goat -- Father Abe -- The moaning bench -- The Christmas dance -- The fish man angel -- Mr. P & the wind