Flipping Boxcars

by Cedric The Entertainer, Cedric Kyles (AKA), Alan Eisenstock

The first novel from one of the original Kings of Comedy, Cedric “The Entertainer,” an engaging and entertaining crime caper that is a valentine to close-knit black families and tightly woven communities struggling to get by during the Depression and World War II.

Babe is a charismatic and widely loved man, a gambler with a gift for gab that often gets him out of tricky situations. He’s also a dreamer, something he shares with his patient and loving wife, Rosie. They both yearn for financial stability and see the land they own as insurance for future generations. But when Babe and a few comrades enlist in a scheme that improbably falls apart, he endangers the little security the family has.  On the verge of losing everything, what’s a family man to do? If you’re a gambler like Babe, you double down and risk it all for one big score—this time, a plan involving railroad boxcars. Will Babe succeed? Will Rosie continue to support her husband? Are the Feds on to his make-or-break scheme? Flipping Boxcars is Cedric “The Entertainer” at his most engaging best—a charming, fast-paced novel that pays homage to his beloved grandfather and a generation past, anchored by rich, multi-dimensional characters and oozing with irresistible charm.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Family, Mystery, Crime, Book Club

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2023

About the author

Cedric Antonio Kyles, better known by his stage name Cedric “The Entertainer,” is an Executive Producer, Director, Actor, Comedian, and now – a Novelist. Over the course of a career spanning 30 years, he has solidified his status as one of the world’s premier performers on the stage, in film, and on television.

Currently, Cedric is starring in and executive producing the CBS Television hit comedy "The Neighborhood” as well as the A&E Network series, “Kings of BBQ” alongside Anthony Anderson. He is also hosting and executive producing "The Greatest #AtHome Videos," executive producing the dramedy “Johnson” for Bounce TV, and produced and hosted the 73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Recently, Cedric appeared co-starring in "The Last O.G.," opposite Tracy Morgan and Tiffany Haddish, and reprised his role as Uncle Bobby in Disney+'s "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" – the long-anticipated revival of the groundbreaking animated series "The Proud Family." Earlier this year, Cedric received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for “The Neighborhood” making it his sixth win within the series category.

Cedric’s other noteworthy television credits include the comedy series “The Soul Man,” which he co-created and executive produced through his production company, A Bird And A Bear Entertainment; “The Steve Harvey Show”, which he won four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; the sketch comedy series “Cedric The Entertainer Presents” where he was honored with an AFTRA Award of Excellence; and served as host of Season 12 of the hit game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”

His versatile film work spans genres from memorable performances in comedies such as the hit “Barbershop” franchise, “Johnson Family Vacation,” “The Original Kings of Comedy” concert film which chronicled his record-breaking comedy Tour with fellow comedians Steve Harvey, D.L Hughley and the late Bernie Mac; to dramas like Paul Schrader’s critically acclaimed Oscar-nominated drama “First Reformed,” co-starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried; and his signature baritone voice in animated hits such as Disney’s “Madagascar” and “Planes” franchises, “Ice Age” and “Dr. Dolittle 2,” among many others. In 2019, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not familiar with the work of the comedian Cedric the Entertainer, and I am not sure how much of this book he actually wrote since there is a coauthor. However, at least he contributed the major character of the book, Babe, who was based on his grandfather.

Babe in the book is a charismatic hustler and gambler who tries to buy a boxcar full of whiskey from some mobsters and ends up in trouble. My favorite parts of the book were those dealing with the loving relationship between Babe and his wife Rosie. However, I also liked the caper-like plot at the end of the book. The backstories of the characters were a little disjointed. There was also a gambling scene that confused me, but I discovered that there is a glossary at the end of the book that would have helped me. I should have read that first. The glossary was even included in the audiobook, which is not always the case. There are 2 huge open issues at the end of the book. So don’t expect a tidy resolution of the story.

I received a free copy of the ebook from the publisher. However, I listened to the audiobook. Cedric should not have narrated this himself.

[The Bookish Bri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so interested in reading this book because it was written by Cedric. I didn't let that factor overshadow the work though.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Cedric's voice as he narrated a story inspired by his late grandfather. I couldn't fully immerse myself in the story. The story would flow for me and then stop and repeat like that over and over again. One thing I will say I enjoyed was the resilience that the character Babe had. He was determined to provide for his family and although he had a bad gambling habit... he always betted on winning for them.

3/5⭐️

[Dawnshaeé Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up ✨ I was lost for majority of the story and I never attached myself to the characters; probably due in part because it was hard to visualize any of them or the setting. Babe is described as charismatic, and I didn’t read any of his dialogue with the charisma that should’ve dripped from every word. He was rarely with his family, so I don’t think he qualifies as a family man.

The cliffhanger was melodramatic and rushed, but the good sign is it means there will definitely be a book two. I’m not sure I’ll be as eager to read it, but I potentially will to see if there’s an explanation for including some of the details that felt a bit unnecessary (learning French while drafted, the woman he met while there, some of his friends blind allegiance, etc.) and to hopefully see more character development.

[Nakia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tend to avoid books "written" by celebrities because they very rarely actually write them and they're very rarely interesting. I made an exception for this one only because I've loved Ceddy since his Comic View days, his interview on the ?uestlove Supreme podcast about the origin of this novel really won my over, and I needed to add something lite and easy to my reading list.

I went in with very low expectations, but it turned out much better than I expected. Casual mystery readers will enjoy this one.

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book is a debut from Cedric the Entertainer - the comedian. It was the title that caught me.

There were parts of the book I thought were good and then some not so good. I thought it was pretty scattered and did not seem to lead from one idea into the next very smoothly. I got comfortable reading and it just seemed to jump into something else, minus any gateway.

The story, based on Cedric's grandfather, was gambling gangster related. Making a deal on a large quantity of illegal booze during the depression and then trying to figure out how to pay for it. Buying from the mob did not allow for making payments.

This book came in short of my expectations.

[Readwithchan_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wth was that ending 😒 like I done read all of this with no to be continued or nothing and it’s just left in the air smh wow

[Jerricka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book. I was not expecting this kind of work from a comedian. I loved the 50’s feel of the book.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Cedric The Entertainer I was very excited to read his upcoming crime fiction novel which is also a Black Family fiction story. At the center of this narrative is Babe Boyce, a gambling war veteran and a loving husband and father whose main motivation is providing financial stability for his lineage. There are many powerful (and racially charged) interactions Babe has that test his commitment to living a value centered life.

I enjoyed the flash backs to Babe's time in service which really provide context to his character and his strong friendship bond with his right hand man, Karter. Karter and Babe were in service together and both made it back home. The trouble that both men find themselves in when a fateful interaction with klan members occurs tests their friendship and as a reader I was so glad to find that both Karter and Babe protected one another at all cost.

Babe ends up taking one too many risks to obtain his dream of financial stability and ends up hurting the person he loves the most in the world - his wife. This turn of events was unexpected and I enjoyed how truthful the narrative was about the consequences of our actions that we cannot escape. Unfortunately, for Babe, he must sleep in the bed he made. The ending of the story makes me hopeful for a sequel. I am satiated nonetheless!

My favorite part of this book is the Author's Note where Cedric shares about his late grandfather who Babe's character was based upon. I love that this fictional narrative was born from ancestral honor and remembrance.

Thank you to Amistad publishing house for the chance to read! All opinions are my own.

[Barbara Mates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the genre i usually read, but, glad I did. Reading "Flipping Boxcars" was like sitting down and listening to an older relative tell a story about "way back when"...you really dont care at first, listening only to be polite, but, then you are hooked. Translated: Once I started reading the book I couldn't but it down. Written by Cedric Kyles (aka Cedric the Entertainer) with Alan Eisenstock the novel tells the story of Babe, a Black WWII veteran living in a racist world trying to make a good life for his wife and children anyway he could, which unfortunately sometimes (o.k. much of the time) skirted the law. Babe (character a homage to Mr. Kyles grandfather) is good natured, fun loving and lovable but curses, drinks, gambles ++ (dont want to add specifics as it would spoil the read) and you root for him all the way.
Reads really quickly, and while the narrative is "salty " it is smooth and consistent with the characters. There are some situations some may feel uncomfortable when reading but the are well handled .
Thanks to HarperCollins for ARC, but review all mine.

[REGINA TATUM · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my type of story. The audio was hard to get thru. I don't feel like he narrated the book, he just talked it. It was endless talking, and calling the main character "Babe" name over and over. I did not enjoy the book, but I finished it because I love Cedric.

[Amanda Mercedes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While an intriguing story, I don’t think this was for me. The fact that it was written by Cedric the Entertainer caught my attention, and I liked that the story was modeled after his grandparents, specifically his grandfather, and the familial and geographical parts of the story were true.
I got lost, however, a few times in the plot and had some trouble figuring out what was going on, and that took me out of the story a few times. There was a heart-gripping moment that itself deserves a star, as it had me panicking for a chunk of the book, just imagining how I would feel if that were happening to me. The anxiety!
There were some humorous lines, but not as many as I expected based on who the author is. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either so I’m giving it a solid 3. The ending is very open ended and can either lead to a sequel or just be ambiguous. If just a cliffhanger with no resolution, there was a lot left to say that is just hanging in the air.

Thank you to Booksparks for the book, which I received last year. Sorry it has taken me so long! Working through some of my backlist.

[John Winkelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t say for sure what I found so compelling about this story. It could have been my familiarity with the main settings in Missouri or my fondness for Cedric. Either way, I thought it was very entertaining. The only issue I had was that I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to know more about what happened next for Babe, Rosie, Leaky, and all the characters.

[Sherriece Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Floyd “Babe” Boyce is a betting man, simply because he never loses. But when he puts it all on the line hoping this will be his chance to start a new life with his family, things don’t go as planned. And Babe has to pull out all his tricks to save his life and his marriage.

MY TWO CENTS:
Okay “Ceddy Bear”(in my Lovita Alize Jenkins voice)😂
Living up to his name “The Entertainer”, this book is truly that. The story starts at go and never loses speed. Babe is charismatic and charming and is loved by his community because they know he will do anything for his friends and family. The characters are interesting and diverse. The atmosphere was palpable. I wish Rosie’s character was more prominent because she was his backbone. Also because I was Rosie. I know what it’s like to be with a gambling man and that’s a gamble in itself. This is a great read and I was amazed at how good the writing was. The ending was abrupt though. Do I smell a second book?

Thank you @netgalley for ARC

[Netty loves to read · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 for me. I could hear Cedric's voice as I was reading this. Not surprised that this was based off his grandfather, not hard to picture him being like Cedric. Nice and easy read. Would have been nice to have the glossary at the beginning of the book though.

[Shannan Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is not normally my type of read, I really enjoyed this book. We take a trip back in time where the author tells a compelling and emotional story in an ode to his grandfather. With a cast of characters that are not normally shown in the black community, it was a riveting ride. The surprises as well as the twists and turns had me spellbound. I could not and did not want to put this book down. It took me on such a ride, and I would absolutely watch this if it was turned into a movie. Although I do wish there was a little bit more to the ending, as far as a certain situation, the result of it, otherwise it was a delight to read this book.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio and I feel that may have contributed to the lower rating. The narration was flat which made the story somewhat boring and easy to zone out. His opening, author’s note, and acknowledgments were all read in the same narration of the story. There was no animation in his reading for different characters which is kind of surprising for someone who is a great comedian and actor. If there wasn’t just a flat reading I think the book would’ve been slightly better.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flipping Boxcars was a could not put it down read for me. Floyd "Babe" Boyce, a native of Caruthersville, Missouri and WWII veteran has made a name for himself in his hometown. He is African American, married to his sweetheart Rosie, with three boys and a girl and success as the owner of a popular cafe, located in Sportsman's Hall. Oh, yeah. He is also a heck of a craps player and he has a lot of illegal enterprises going on, some connected to the mob in Chicago related to illegal booze transactions and some related to setting up illegal games of chance in the Sportsman's Hall several nights a week.. His manager, Karter, was a WWII buddy who returned to Caruthersville with Babe. He's huge, the fixer, always whining about being bored in this backwater place. Babe has local partners in crime, including Hooter, the white sheriff. There's a powerful story behind their friendship that goes back to their late teens. And now, Babe is turning forty and he has this big plan to commit one huge final illegal deal and get rich in a big way.

The characters and the town are vividly drawn in this seemingly simply written book. Except for some flashbacks, the story takes place over a couple weeks in June/July 1948. Babe is smart, lucky, in love with his wife, a risk taker, a good friend, a dangerous guy and a mess throughout. His wife, Rosie is a strong woman of character who keeps the cafe patrons in BabyLou specials and the kids on the straight and narrow. The well-crafted plot has wonderful and clever twists and turns as Babe's dealings with a new guy from Chicago cause him to take increasingly bigger risks. At times, this is laugh out loud funny. But very, very dark things happen as well. Mostly, it's about a man going through a mid-life crises that brings far too many problematic matters to a head. It ends on a note that, to me suggests a sequel. Well, YEAH!

[Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to be fully invested in this book but I couldn’t get there. Here are a few reasons.
- Cedric the Entertainer narrated and while I love him, I didn’t care for his narration. There was no differentiation in the voices of the characters.
- There were several characters and sometimes hard to remember who was who. I had to rewind some parts more than once.
- The storyline goes back and forth in time and sometimes that became confusing.
- Some of the word choice was out of place. Some descriptions didn’t flow with the story.
- The ending seemed incomplete. There was no conclusion to anything. What happened with their marriage? The land? Was there another game? Or is that letting us know that they’ll be a sequel?

I wanted so much more from this. 3 stars is generous.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiction>Historical Fiction, African American, US Prohibition era

This was a joy to listen to. I really enjoyed the audiobook. I didn't know what to expect: a mystery/thriller with real historical context written by a stand-up comedian. hmmm. This was good, though. The dialogue allowed for some witty/funny remarks and I did laugh out loud a couple of times, but it is a serious story. I really liked the end notes describing his inpspiration for the story and it gives me hope there will be more to come with this character!
I always appreciate a clever title and this is definitly a good one.
I enjoyed the little lessons on the mechanics/terms of the craps game that were thrown in at the beginning of some chapters and then reiterated in a Glossary section at the end.

[Sweetlps_book_haven Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmmm…

I truly adored this novel. Floyd, aka Babe, is an exceptionally brave, all-around hustler who thrives in being the fixer! Well, what happens when the fixer needs to be fixed? Let me implore you to add this book to your reading list. I loved the characters throughout the story. Hottie and Rosie were some of my favorite characters. Luck tends to run out after a while, and what do people do in desperate situations? Babe, adorned by his wife and children, popular amongst his community explores the dangers of losing it altogether.

[CindySR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cedric completely made up this story about his grandparents and his mom as a little girl. Grandfather was the main character and it's a good thing the story isn't true because it is very violent and grandfather, although a loving family man, had a gambling problem among other significant flaws. There are a few violent scenes that most likely did happen in a racist town in the 30s and 40s but I was kind of surprised Cedric wanted to paint his grandfather in that way. The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger so expect book 2.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adventurous ride that I enjoyed. The story was fast-paced and the plot & characters were well fleshed out, which is good because there was a lot going on. Some of the characters could have easily been a relative, or two, of mine back in the day. I must say the story ended too abruptly for me. But, I’ll give Cedric a pass if the story continues in another book. I listened to the audio.

[Jim Kownacki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Faced paced but I really couldn't get into the characters. I was reading it just to finish it only to find there are enough cliffhanger to warrant a dreaded sequel that I'll force myself to read just for closure and hopefully that will be the last in the series.

[Jo Goldsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the down home story.

[Lovelocsandbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Rashonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I’ll update this when I can figure out what I want to say about the book.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cedric the Entertainer reads his own audiobook and that was a delightful way to read this novel based on his own ancestors lives.

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a big fan of books that happened in the 30s & 40s era. The fact that a comedian wrote the book, made me believe that it was going to be more than what it was.

The book had a Walter Mosley vibe but the narrative done by the author dulled the story. The story captured the art of survival for a black man during that time but did not end with any conclusion. Not a real cliffhanger. Just a determined man out to get back what he lost.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a great story. I really liked Babe as a character. He was fleshed out, had a ton of backstories between him and other characters in the book. I am invested in the outcome of all the balls he is juggling: Farm Boys, bootleggers, dice games, his family. Can’t wait for the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Stuart · Rating 1 out of 5]

(ARC received via goodreads giveaway)

I got about 110 pages in and wasn’t engaged, so I’m calling it. I give Cedric Kyles all the credit in the world for writing this and honoring his grandfather’s story, but it ultimately did not work for me.

Ultimately, the issue is the prose. The writing style is just pedestrian. Kyles is telling us far more than we need to know, as well as explaining things better left to characterization and atmosphere. It lacks polish, and gets in the way of what could have been an intriguing story and characters by flattening everything. There is a lack of dimension; everything is just flat.

All that said, I read the 110 pages in a night and a half of bedtime reading, which is a very quick pace for me, and speaks to how quick the writing moves. As much as I think this is not well-written, it has a great pace and is accessible reading. Ultimately, though, it’s just not for me.