I love BTDQ and will consume anything he puts out. This fell a little flat for me in terms of character development and plot. And the writing felt a little simple and under descriptive. That being said, I enjoyed reading through this short book and learning more about Harriett Tubman and her impact on American history. I would also listen to this album.

This was absolutely brilliant and I’m totally obsessed with it. Harriet Tubman: Live In Concert was refreshing and entertaining in a way that will appeal to older and young readers alike. It felt like an episode of Black Mirror in the best possible way and has fully convinced me that this type of storytelling should be integrated into how historical figures are introduced and taught. Bob so expertly integrated facts and historical references into the story, you didn't even realize you were learning a new fun fact every other page. I need fourteen of these right now

This is one of those rare instances where I wish the book had been longer. It was interesting and thought provoking to just see past historical figures come back to life. But I loved the discussion that came from it. What things they would embrace and celebrate in the future while also seeing the same struggles. While rooted in serious thoughts it still had so much fun and silly moments.

This was so good! I loved every second of it. I accompanied the ebook with the audiobook; it brought it to life! I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Bob the Drag Queen please write more. You have such a beautiful voice.

Five stars for introducing me to William Dorsey Swann, 4 stars for overall entertainment. Original, educational, entertaining. Inspiring & digestible!

Thank you to the author and publisher for access to an advanced reader copy via Netgalley!

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is a unique and original story through a lens of creative art. Bob the Drag Queen has found a way to give profound imagery of the suffrage of people who were enslaved, while also educating us of a more accurate depiction of history. It was obvious to me as a reader that there was a large amount of research that went into this book. Each chapter posed questions that provoked deeper thought while simultaneously providing comedic relief. The connection of the author's story intertwining with the history conveyed a heartfelt vulnerability. This is a beautifully written story I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to read. It is one that I think everyone has something to take away from and one that will continue to stay with me.

I absolutely loved the concept for this novel. It felt incredibly original and not like anything I've read before. I could really hear the author's voice shining through in the writing and will probably listen to the audiobook version as well. My one piece of feedback would be that I would have liked more background about how the historical figures came back, how long they would be here, really just a deeper dive into that aspect. Overall, though, it was a really fun read.

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen

Funny, thought provoking, and educational.

Bob the Drag Queen is doing the work our American education system failed to do.

“Just live Darnell. Take it from there. Just live your life. Your freedom ain’t contingent on nothing. It is yours.”

While this book would probably have been an even better stage play due to its structure. It was still a fun and interesting read. I learned a few things and had a few good laughs, and enjoyed my time with this wonderful book. You can tell the author has such admiration and respect for the titular character. The premise opened up a world of interesting possibilities and made for a few cool moments.

Nearly a decade ago already, Rupaul crowned Bob the Drag Queen America's next drag superstar, and he's been living up to the title ever since. For starters, Bob's had his own comedy special, hosted a Peabody winning HBO series, guest starred on an array of TV shows, hosted an award winning podcast, released an album, and toured with Madonna. He's known for his quick wit, attention to detail, and activism: he's been arrested protesting for gay rights and helped raise a considerable amount of money to help support queer black performers during the early stages of the pandemic. With Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert, Bob's adding author to his resume.

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is as ridiculous of a premise as it sounds, and to be clear, this is a compliment. It stars Darnell, a young, queer black man who has had some success in the music industry but is still looking for his place in the world. This world, meanwhile, had a curious event that caused many long deceased historical figures to rejoin the living. As the title alludes, one of these returned figures is none other than Harriet Tubman, and she's got her sights set on Darnell to help deliver her message to the masses.

The book doesn't waste time setting the scene. Bob rightfully identified that the logistics behind the event that caused the return isn't what we're really interested in here. The meat of the story—of the fun—is in Harriet and her crew interacting with Darnell. This dynamic really gives Bob a chance to showcase his sense of humor and build a connection between the characters that feels genuine to the reader. It also gives him a chance to talk about the Underground Railroad, Tubman's work, and different elements of the lives of people who were enslaved.

While I didn't fact check every unfamiliar tidbit (especially since this is fiction), everything historic included felt very real. This can certainly be attributed to Bob's genuine reverence for Harriet Tubman, which shines through in every interview he's done about the book. It added an extra layer to the realism in magical realism, contributing to its overall success. Unfortunately, some of the depth of individual characters and the overall story development is slightly less successful. While Bob does well creating this world, there's a lot that could've been expanded on to create a much richer experience. While Tubman was the work's primary focus, elaborating on Darnell's struggle to find balance as a gay man in the music industry would've left this feeling more whole.

This would've absolutely cracked my world open if it was available when I first learned about Tubman in school. I only received the same old dusty white narrative of slavery printed in so many questionable history books, and if something like this was around to expand on some of Tubman's incredible achievements with such a joyous modern lens, I think I would've been hungry to learn about lot of things much, much earlier.

I thought this was fun and a really cool concept. Really easy to read (complimentary!) If you’re a fan of Bob TDQ it’s a really fun reading experience to hear his voice come through. I do think it needed some stronger editing structurally. I think it could have packed a really big punch but feel like the organization was all over the place at times and made some of the big moments fizzle out.

(3.75 stars)

This is how I like my historical fiction! Bob the Drag Queen created such a unique universe with these characters. Each character explored different parts of themselves through the power of music. More importantly, original music from Bob the Drag Queen! Even though Harriet Tubman's story is well-known throughout America, especially among Black Americans, we got to see a much more vulnerable side to her character.

This book was very fast-paced, which I wasn't too fond of. I felt there was a lack of character development for the main character. I felt like historical facts were spewed at me rather than organically flowing throughout the story.

Full disclosure, I am a big fan of Bob the Drag Queen. I did not know what to expect with this story, and I LOVED IT! Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen is a brilliantly entertaining, thought-provoking performance that blends humor, history, and heart. Bob’s sharp wit and vibrant storytelling bring Harriet Tubman’s incredible legacy to life in a way that’s both educational and hilariously captivating. The show isn’t just about history—it’s about resilience, identity, and the power of narrative, all wrapped in an unforgettable drag performance. It’s a must-watch for anyone looking for a fresh, bold take on history with plenty of laughs along the way.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

I am a big fan of Bob TDQ, so I was eager to read his first foray into authorship. I am impressed by the premise of this book - Harriet Tubman (and other historical figures) have returned to earth in the present day. The main character is hired to work with Tubman to create an album and show about her life.

While some aspects of this book lack nuance and are not fully fleshed out - for example how these people are returning to Earth is glossed over- it serves as a great exploration of Black queerness and the history of slavery and racism in America. I learned things I didn't know about Harriet Tubman's life and abolition. Although this book is probably unsuitable for younger children, it would be great for older kids who are ok with profanity to learn about history.

Bob the Drag Queen straddles the thin line between entertainment and blasphemy in new release, Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert.

Harriet Tubman and four of the enslaved persons she led to freedom want to tell their story in a unique way: via a live concert. Picture a musical that she can take on the road. She hires Darnell Williams, a hip-hop producer who once topped the charts before being outed at the BET Awards. Their studio sessions are alive with explanations of the past and hope for a better future.

I am familiar with Bob the Drag Queen because I recently watched the last season of Traitors. He was one of the more entertaining gamers. I did not watch him on RuPaul's Drag Race so he was a new-to-me TV personality. I was excited to read an advance copy of his debut novel. And it's based on a historical figure? Run me that ARC!

And then I read it. Le sigh! The best way to describe Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is it's the remix to a classic song that no one asked for. Leave Harriet Tubman's legacy where it is please. Adding a fresh modern twist to history is not always a good idea. Sure, it worked with Hamilton because the art was presented in an appropriate format: Broadway. But bringing historical figures back among the living and putting them in a studio to rap about escaping slavery is not quite following the footsteps of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Bob the Drag Queen is doing too much.

While the novel is inventive and the premise is interesting, it was not fully fleshed out. Poor execution. Poor delivery. Poor judgment. Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is overall a bust that I will not recommend.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

See full review on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website: Past meets present in fanciful historical mashup ‘Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert’

"Bob the Drag Queen is no stranger to innovation. The Georgia native who also goes by the stage name Caldwell Tidicue is the 2016 winner of Emmy Award-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and claims to be the first Black drag queen to garner 1 million followers on Instagram — a number that has doubled since achieving the milestone.

In the decade since his reality TV debut, Bob has made public appearances as a comedian, actor, LGBTQ activist, musician and larger-than-life TV personality. He now adds author to that roster with the publication of his speculative debut novel “Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert,” a fresh and wholly innovative hip-hop retelling of the famed freedom fighter’s story..."

https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/past-meets-present-in-fanciful-historical-mashup-harriet-tubman-live-in-concert/BYAZLO3LTFDBTB3BG4RQAPMPJ4/

✨ Review ✨ Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen

Thanks to Gallery Books and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

🎧 TRUST ME - LISTEN TO THIS AUDIOBOOK. You want Bob to read you this book and there's truly no other way to experience it. Bonus: There are two original songs by Bob at the end!

So I was obsessed with this before I even got close to reading it - Harriet Tubman as a music performer, written and read by Bob the Drag Queen, yes please.

This was absurd and delightful. Harriet Tubman, and others involved in freedom struggles from that era, have come back to life and they want to create a hip-hop album to share about her story. She brings in Darnell, a formerly successful hip-hop producer, to help. The story interweaves Black history, queer identity, and this collision between past and present. This also felt like a great way for people to learn these histories.

I would have loved more backstory on why these historical figures were coming back to life, but at the end I almost didn't care. This book was so powerful - I screamed, I laughed, I cried - so many emotions here!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: fiction
Setting: NYC
Length: 4 hours 17 minutes
Reminds me of: a campy Beloved
Pub Date: March 2025

This is a great book. Not what I usually go for, but glad that I did. Bob is more than just a comedian; Bob's got a story to tell.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book!

Bob the Drag Queen's creativity knows no bounds, as proven by this book. And incredibly interesting concept of figures from the past returning and Harriet Tubman finds Darnell, a music producer, to help her produce an album and show. Not only does Bob tell her story from Harriet herself, but also brings her into our world to teach Darnell, and us as readers, what freedom really means.

I loved that Harriet was not the only person brought back, and the other characters were, to my knowledge, not famous abolitionists. So we not only heard Harriet's story of finding her freedom (and helping countless others), but we get other perspectives as well.

Also, the introduction to William Dorsey Swann as a historical figure was amazing, and I will be looking him up in the future.

I do wish that the Return was made a little more clear. This book has since been published, so I'm not sure what updates have been made. But in what I read, there wasn't a clear explanation of the Return or why it was happening, and anytime it was mentioned, I was distracted by my questions. In a similar way, there were times when the figures from the past seemed like they were never exposed to 21st century culture or technology, and other times when it seemed like they were watching the world go on from beyond while they were dead. I think some clarification on what they know and how would have also been helpful.

All in all, this was a fantastic book, and I can't wait to recommend it to all my friends. Hopefully I'll listen to the audiobook one day and get to hear all the songs too.

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by @bobthedragqueen
The dialogue is sharp, the heart is big, and the message is clear: we still have a long way to go, and we need each other to get there. Imagine Harriet Tubman returned to the modern world, teaming up with a hip-hop producer to turn her life story into an album.

This book remixes history not to soften it, but to amplify it. Through rhythm, resistance, and raw conversation, we’re reminded of the power of truth-telling and radical love. This is storytelling as activism. We’re living in a time when history is being erased and rewritten—this book says, not on our watch.

📚 Read it if you believe in human rights.
🎶 Read it if you believe in the power of music.
🖤 Read it if you believe in Harriet.

Only from the mind of Bob the Drag Queen could this book exist. Harriet Tubman (yes, THEE Harriet Tubman) comes back along with a bunch of other prominent figures from history. And what does she want to do?

Turn her experiences into music. Put on a show about her life.

This book is funny, creative, and just incredible. You can tell that Bob is having the time of his life writing this book.