This book should’ve been a bigger hit than it was. I feel like the internet is sleeping on this. Harriet Tubman returns and wants to lay down a Hamilton-style album? Give Bob the Drag Queen all the flowers for that idea alone.

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is a standalone speculative fiction novel by Bob The Drag Queen. Released 25th March 2025 by Simon & Schuster on their Gallery Books imprint, it's 240 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in 2nd quarter 2026 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

This is a splendidly written gut-punch of a story. Inexplicably, historical personages are coming back to life, and Harriet Tubman, in all her badass unapologetic glory, would like a word. She figures Hamilton (the musical) was an effective storytelling device, so she connects with a songwriter/producer to tell her own story.

There are so many layers of nuance: from generational trauma, real and intentionally hidden history, growth (it sounds so cliched but the author does a masterful job, truly), acceptance, respect, and it's done with humor and finesse.

Content warnings for homophobia, kidnapping, slavery (well, duh), civil war, violence, cancer, racism (again, obviously), and smoking.

Excellent (exceptional) storytelling, important messages, and a satisfying story arc.

Four stars, it would be a great choice for public library acquisition, book club study, or buddy read. Excellent book, well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I loved this book! What a fresh take on the stories of the enslaved running to freedom. It offers insights into the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman, but relatable, set among the world of Hip Hop. It's a vastly different world, but one that still struggles with diversity and freedom of expression. Maybe I'll get my kids to read it.

Great heroes from history have started coming back to life in the modern era, and Harriet Tubman decides she wants to tell her story through music. She teams up with music producer Darnell, who used to be super successful, but hasn't had much since a traumatic event years earlier. As he works with Harriet, he comes to realize that he needs to learn to be free in who he really is.

This one started a little slow for me, but once they really got into producing music, it flew by quickly! I really enjoyed the message and liked the idea too - it was a really unique way to have this history told.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Love, love, love, love this! What an interesting take. It's almost like a speculative memoir. I loved the message and the idea that Harriet Tubman was starting a band. Check out this audiobook as well. Bob the Drag Queen does an amazing job narrating it and there are a couple original songs at the end that are fire! This book is absolutely wonderful, and a must have for every collection.

Harriet Tubman Live in Concert is such unique take on historical fiction. It’s premised that historical people have returned to live in 2025. Harriet contacts Darnel, a struggling music producer to tell her story in a modern way. Harriet’s story is all about freedom and as a semi-closeted gay black man, Darnel is not free. While he weaves Harriet’s story in to original music, he embarks on his own journey to freedom. This novel tackles religion, race and the inhumanity of slavery. Bob the Drag Queen gives an excellent performance in the audiobook brining both the characters and music to life. I highly recommend it!

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