Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

by Bob the Drag Queen

From RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and host of HBO’s We’re Here comes an inventive, wondrous novel about American hero Harriet Tubman that remixes history into a fresh, dynamic novel about love, freedom, salvation, and music.

In an age of miracles where our greatest heroes from history have magically, unexplainably returned to shake us out of our confusion and hate, Harriet Tubman is back, and she has a lot to say.

Harriet Tubman and four of the enslaved persons she led to freedom want to tell their story in a unique way—by following in the footsteps of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. Harriet wants to put on a show about her life, and she needs a songwriter to help her.

She calls upon Darnell Williams, a once successful hip-hop producer who was topping the charts before being outed by a rival at the BET Awards. Darnell has no idea what to expect when he steps into the studio with Harriet, only that they have one week to write a Broadway caliber musical she can take on the road. Over the course of their time together, they not only mount a show that will take the country by storm, but confront the horrors of both their pasts, and learn to find a way to a better future.

Original, evocative, and historic, Harriet Live in Concert is a landmark achievement that will burrow deep into our hearts (and ears).

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Fantasy, Queer, Magical Realism

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 25, 2025

About the author

A.k.a. Christopher Delmar Caldwell.

Reviews

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this debut novel is a speculative story involving a world where historical figures are back living amongst us. and as the title very much indicates, harriet tubman is now in present day new york, where this story starts off with her recruiting a once very successful hip hop producer to help her make an album. darnell is still processing ten years ago, when he was at the height of his career, and some horrible things happened. but he promises to help harriet with writing this album and then her group will be able to go on tour.

this is a really beautiful story about the power of owning your history, and learning the things that history books try to hide from marginalized communities that still carry that generational trauma. and this book also really touches upon religion and healing when you maybe haven’t had the best experiences regarding your identity and feeling like you had to hide parts of who you are. this is a really emotional blend of hip hop and spirituality that i just adored reading.

and… i just love bob. he is my favorite queen, and when i found out he was writing a book i was instantly so immensely proud of him. but after reading it? i don’t even have words, but i am so thankful his voice is going to be heard. also, he does narrate the audiobook, so i highly recommend consuming this story that way! but yeah, i really loved this and highly recommend it!

trigger + content warnings: talk of slavery, talk of racism, mention of loss of loved ones, talk of the civil war, talk of being forced to be closeted in past, outing, talk of loss of a friend to cancer in past, kidnapping (child is okay), use of reclaiming words, smoking, maybe internalized homophobia (not from the mc, and in a negative light)

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[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars: This was delightfully voice-driven and very engaging throughout. I love that you could feel the author's passion to share the [purposefully] forgotten stories of resilience and ingenuity from enslaved Americans - that was where the book's energy was and it almost felt like interconnected short stories as we spent time with Minty's magically assembled collective. I could tell this was a debut in some parts of the writing, as some of the transitions and movement of action felt a little clunky. That said, BtDQ is an incredibly charismatic story teller IRL and you can feel their charm coming through in their authorial voice. A promising debut all around!

[Morgan Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a huge fan of Bob the Drag Queen for years, so when I found out he wrote a book—Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert—I IMMEDIATELY added it to my TBR. When I saw it listed on NetGalley, I got super excited and requested it, thinking there was no way I’d actually get approved—but lo and behold, I did! (Thank you, NetGalley and Gallery Books!)

Going in, I had a slightly different expectation of what this book would be. Someone had described it as Hamilton-esque, so I imagined something heavily musical throughout. If you’re expecting the same, adjust your expectations—while there are musical elements, this isn’t a full-blown musical on the page. Instead, it weaves a unique and compelling storyline where historical figures have returned from the dead and are living in the present day. Harriet Tubman and her group of “Freemen” enlist Darnell, a struggling (but incredibly talented) music producer grappling with his sexuality, to help create a rap album that tells the story of the Underground Railroad.

I knew history would play a role, given that Harriet Tubman is at the heart of the story, but I didn’t expect to learn as much as I did—or to absorb it in such a fun, playful way. While the book primarily takes place in the present and explores themes of race, sexuality, and self-acceptance, it also draws thoughtful parallels to how these same topics were navigated in the 1800s and 1900s.

I’m always amazed by how Bob’s brain works, and Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is a fantastic debut. While I felt that some plot points could have been expanded upon, it didn’t take away much from my overall enjoyment. I’d initially rate this a solid 4 stars, but I’m rounding up because I know once the audiobook is released—and I get to experience it in Bob’s voice the way it’s meant to be heard—my appreciation for it will only deepen.

UPDATE: I just went on one of Bob’s lives and asked him about the songs and he played a snip of both of them and they were EXACTLY how I pictured. *chef’s kiss*

HAPPY PUB DAY!!!

[Bailey Douglass · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the idea, love Bob the Drag Queen, I think I love the message to the extent that I understand it, wanted to love this book.

2.5 stars

I know you're supposed to start these reviews with a summary, but part of this book is that it was simultaneously was oddly light on plot and didactic that I can't confidently explain what it was. The basic conceit is that Harriett Tubman and some other figures from her past are in the modern day, She is a musician and she is trying to get to a performance. The contemporary main character is a kind of bland seeming contemporary guy with a secret. Knowing the author and the lack of subtlety it's pretty clear it has something to do with his sexuality.

The best parts of this book are the moments where one of the historical characters combines their stories with some kind of humor related to their experience in one or the other of the time periods we're encountering. Unfortunately, much of the book is "tell, don't show" historical context or confusing asides that make it hard to hang on to the central thread.

I kept taking breaks while I was reading this book and hoping that I was just not in the right headspace for it, but ultimately I don't think it was quite for me. I'd love to read BTDQ's writing in partnership with another author where they provide the character and humor and the other writer gives structure, but this book didn't give me the structure that I needed to feel connected to it.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the ARC for an unbiased review.

[Ellie Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

she ATE.
when I tell you I need a Hamilton level production of this, I’m so serious.

[Laura]

what the fuck this sounds so fun

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an inventive concept! The idea that some historical greats could come back to live among us today - and have the desire to tell their story through concert! - is so creative and fun. And what better narrator for that than Bob the Drag Queen. I really enjoyed the perspective and tone Bob captured with this book. The writing isn't always the strongest, though, and I do think some ideas deserved exploring a little deeper. I rarely say this, but, I think this book could have benefitted from being twice as long. It's a great start, but I think it could use more.

[Allen Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative and unique imagined world wherein historical figures are back and living in the present day. Harriet Tubman is one of those figures and is ready to tell her story. She enlists the help of gay (but not out) music producer Darnell to help write songs about her life and experience. Harriet tells him about the Underground Railroad, about setting people free (physically and emotionally). While putting together these songs together, Darnell grapples with his feelings about his sexuality.

This was such a fun and unique set-up. The whole event of these historical figures returning is briefly mentioned and more of just an aside to explain why Harriet Tubman is here on earth. It's mostly a contemporary story about race and sexuality and coming to terms with and being proud/open about your identity.

This had great discussions about racism, freedom, homophobia, outing, the black experience vs the gay black experience, etc. It was also educational, with tons of information about Harriet Tubman and her life.

This felt a bit YA sometimes, in the writing and overall narrative arc, and it reminded me a bit of if you mixed On the Come Up by Angie Thomas with The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta. If you liked either of those books, I'd recommend this. I could see a younger person getting something out of this book, especially in the discussions about queerness, race, and owning your identity.

3.75
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[jame✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bob the Drag Queen > God

Wanted a chance to write some good music
I mean some hood music
I’m talking ’bout I wish a motherfucker would music
Liberate my people through the swamps and the woods music
Never would have made it if I didn’t know I could music

[Rubí · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fan of Bob’s, I was excited to win an ARC from the goodreads giveaway. The premise of this book is interesting (historical figures coming back to life in 21st century, with Harriet Tubman wanting to write an album on her experience), but the execution could have definitely benefited from some guidance and editing. It feels sacrilegious to give Bob anything but her 10s, but my main qualms were:

- Premise needs more fleshing out, whether on the page or externally in a way that carries over into text. What is the threshold for “historical figure”? Who decides who gets to return? Do these people get a say on whether they return? How does this not create in-universe chaos? What is the assimilation process?

- In Part 1, the comical asides come too often, drawing the reader out. Rather than delving into the context and talking us through Darnell’s internally sorting through these feelings broaching across time and space, the immediate humor comes off in a dismissive(?) tone.

-Throughout the novel, the prompting for these characters to tell their stories begins to feel repetitive/predictable. This is no fault of Bob, as I’m sure there is so much rich Black history to tell, but it was more monologue than dialogue (I know Bob mentioned the idea was originally for a stage production so hopefully he brings that to life one day!).

Ultimately, the plot feels like 2 narratives joined together with seams in need of finnessing. Bob’s storytelling shines through the most in Part 2, where our main character comes alive. We feel Darnell’s fear at being outed, we see more of him interacting with people in a dynamic way, the context of his being a hip-hop producer in the closet in the 2010s makes sense. I’m hoping Bob continues to venture into fiction because there’s some good stuff here..

[Kevin Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I saw that Bob The Drag Queen had written a book and what the title was, I knew I immediately had to get my hands on it.
But as I began to read, I quickly realized that among all the things that Bob does amazingly, being an author is not one of them.
This book feels like an afterschool special for junior high level kids. Everything is on the nose. Everything has been said before and better. Aside from the interesting premise (which I think is a big missed opportunity) everything else is mundane and rehashed history and self-improvement jargon.
I was very disappointed and sad because I was ready to love this book. But I cannot recommend it, except perhaps to a junior high class for an assignment on social justice.

[Brad Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

More fiction books by drag queens please.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a wonderful premise and an unapologetically confident voice, this is a strong debut novel. I really appreciate the commitment to the central conceit, that a number of dead folk have returned, and that is just presented without any critical analysis or commentary, as the best of speculative fiction does. This is a novel about freedom, not just understanding the cost of freedom and living in a commitment to it, but also to really understanding just what freedom is, which starts with personal autonomy but doesn’t end there. In the process it drags the contemporary education system for filth and spotlights some critical and important parts of American history that aren’t as widely known as they should be. All of this is fun and presented as personal story, which made it easy to fall into. With that said, the novel does have a lot more telling than showing. I felt connected to the central character but only as we observe things happening to him and navigating as he narrates his woes to himself, it doesn’t feel like we are on the journey with him.

Once we are introduced to the world then there are not any particular surprises in the story. Even the plotting, having a second section which jumps back in time a decade to give us the main character’s tragic history which has been under the surface for the first part, was expected. However it is a good structure, the plotting moves quickly and doesn’t overstay its welcome. There is something, more than a decade after Hamilton premiered, that is a little cringey about historical-based hip-hop… that goes for the lyrics in the story and, for as well produced as they are, the two songs Bob the Drag Queen recorded and released as part of this novel’s promotion (included with the audiobook, or available elsewhere online). But the whole novel feels so committed to authenticity that the cringe didn’t get in the way of the story. The writing felt a little mechanical at times, as I said more expository than emotional, but it mostly felt polishes and inviting. The story is a little thin, but what it does do is locate us as products of our histories, which is important. It isn’t comparing sufferings or saying that the obstacles we may be experience in contemporary life are equal to being enslaved (though it does feel close to making that comparison, at times), but instead is identifying that it is a combination of external and internal factors that get in the ways of our freedoms, and while the external factors may certainly vary in severity we always have the capacity for liberatory thought and action, the space to refuse the internal shackles we have locked around our own limbs. That internal freedom may not solve the external conflicts but it offers something profound and revolutionary, a prerequisite for any real freedom.

[Ale the feral reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was dropping chains - now she’s dropping bars (sorry).

This book respins how history can be accurately told but with a modern twist. It’s so unique and creative and has such depth. I was slow to read it cause honestly it had some heavy shit but I was so sad when it was over.

This book taught me more about Harriet Tubman and slavery in America than what I learned in school. That’s f*cked up fr. It is also really encouraging me to read more nonfiction cause clearly we not learning the truth. It’s such a fun and engaging read for such a dark part of history it’s telling. This book had me hooked—except for the moments I had to pause and take a breather because the treatment of Black people (past and present) is infuriating. This book was such a clever way of reminding us the importance of history and how we have come far but still have soooo much farther to go. It serves as a reminder to keep fighting for what’s right and even if we all have different beliefs in religion, politics, etc., a good human fights for other humans.
This was honestly one of those books that will sit with me forever. I think it was brilliant and it’s my favorite read of the year. It’s sad that often times the burden of education falls on Black people. Harriet’s history and other important Black history should be way more well known than it is.

[Book Riot Community]

In this debut novel by the Bob the Drag Queen, Harriet Tubman and four of the enslaved people she saved are back for a short time to tell their story. She chooses hip-hop producer Darnell Williams to help her make an album, to his surprise. Darnell had been famous, but when he was outed on BET, his career took a nosedive. Together, they use music to unearth the horrors of the country's history and guide a way to a better future. This has been getting starred reviews, and I can't wait to pick it up to see how Bob the Drag Queen pulls off this premise.

—Danika Ellis, 11 Must-Read New Queer Books Out in March 2025

[Nadine in California · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic, creative tribute to the great Harriet Tubman. I could not imagine how this book could have worked, the story sounds darn near ridiculous, but oh boy does it. I listened to the audio read by the author, and the experience was more like talking with a friend than listening to a narrator. I want to put this book in everyone's hands. I was impressed with him on RuPaul's Drag Race and I can't wait to see what he does next. He's truly a renaissance artist for the 21st century.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining but a bit weak. Reads a bit like middle grade historical fiction but with an adult audience in mind. For a first novel it’s pretty promising and there’s definitely some interesting parts. I think the plot just needed to be a bit stronger.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

bob the drag queen may be top 5 most talented people
on earth (if you can get your hands on the audiobook you’re in for a treat. it features bob singing 2 of harriet’s songs)

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really wonderful tale of Harriet Tubman and other historical figures who time travel to the 21st Century. Harriet decides the best way to get her message on freedom across is to form a hip hop band. She enlists a gay, black man who's been broken for the past 15 years. Even though the time travel element is never explained, this book is lots of fun and touches on an important message to remember and honor those who came before us to make the world better. Author Bob the Drag Queen sure is multi-talented. I rounded up my 3.5 score to a 4 because it was a fun, easy, and insightful read.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

[Rakesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

"White folks got a real head start in this country. We running in a race, but we four hundred years behind. Trying our best to catch up and make something for ourselves. Everything we done made for ourselves they try and tear it down. We make jazz and they tell us it's the devil's music. We decide to give our children French names and they tell us we ghetto. Then they come right behind us, claim it for theyselves, and tell us it's culture, like we never knew."

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

Bob the Drag Queen’s fiction debut is a fascinating and compelling read. The premise is wild— Harriet Tubman and other historical figures, including her band of freed people and abolitionists, have come back to life in the present. There is no attempt to explain why or how this has happened, and the narrative is the better for it. It’s not about the why or how, it’s about them finding their place in the present and telling their past stories to the public and more specifically to our protagonist. Darnell is a music producer who had some commercial success 15 years ago and none since; he’s been personally tapped by Harriet Tubman to produce her album and approaches the job with awe and trepidation as he learns the band members’ different stories.

The book really reads like a history lesson you forgot wrapped in a fictional narrative, and we learn/relearn so much along with Darnell. I love also that BDQ included some lesser-known information, like that Harriet Tubman very likely had narcolepsy. I wish they had put it out in time for Black History month, that seems like it was a missed opportunity. My one quibble would be that Darnell’s personal plot seemed a little unfulfilled, but I appreciated the difficult elements tackled, both his religious trauma and being a gay black man in the music industry.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of this book to review.

[Kristian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like a high school creative writing project… fun premise but there’s no skillful writing here.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg I loved this! The premise sounds slightly bonkers but I swear it works. In this world a great “return” has happened and famous figures through history have reappeared. Harriet Tubman enlists our main guy Darnell to help her produce a music album. Through that she shares her story. This was such an interesting and fun and unique way to learn history. It’s funny and emotional and I couldn’t put it down.

[Liz Migueles · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very excited for this book and pre-ordered it months ago. Cracked it open right when it arrived and was shocked at how poorly written it is. Very basic language and sentence structure, no depth or interiority to the lives of the characters. I would have thought this was a book by and for preteens if I didn't know Bob the Drag Queen. The premise of the book is interesting, it just isn't actually explored in any real way. It's a real shame.

[Chantaal]

note to self: get the ebook or book from the library. audiobook narration is NOT in bob the drag queen's wheelhouse.

[cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

very exciting book that puts Harriet Tubman in today’s world on a mission to reach The Youth through music and how the main character, a young gay man, interacts with her and the posse of other historic icons. would recommend the audio book!

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a phenomenal and unique book, I went in knowing absolutely nothing and was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. I RAN to buy a physical copy haha.

[Stacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I inhaled this one. A cool premise with a lot of heart.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This debut novel has an intriguing premise, and it effectively allows first-time author, long-time diva Bob the Drag Queen to teach the children (me, I am the children) about crucial abolitionist history and figures in a really clever way. BRB, going down a rabbit hole to learn everything I can about William Dorsey Swann.

The personal voice is on point, by that's no surprise coming from Bob.
There were some sentences that felt repetitive to the one right before, providing the same information just worded differently, and in that sense I think it could have used a little more editing.
I found the writing a bit clunky at times, but then I'd get hit with a banger of a sentence, so there is strong authentic voice that maybe just needs honing.

I could see this being adapted for the stage, and I think it should be!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob, if you’re reading this, you should really think about making this into a play. It would be beautiful on stage. I can’t wait to see what you write next!

Thank you to Goodreads, I won an ARC in their giveaway. I was so excited to receive this book! Bob is an effortlessly humorous and intelligent person which shines through in the writing. It took me on a journey that I wasn’t expecting. I think this was a beautiful debut novel and as Harriet says “I may have shown you the way on this journey but I didn’t carry you. You used your own strength to get here.” Congrats, Bob!