<P> Go Tell It on the Mountain is a 1953 semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin . It tells the story of John Grimes , an intelligent teenager in 1930s Harlem , and his relationship to his family and his church . The novel also reveals the back stories of John 's mother , his biological father , and his violent , religious fanatic step - father , Gabriel Grimes . The novel focuses on the role of the Pentecostal Church in the lives of African - Americans , as a negative source of repression and moral hypocrisy and also as a positive source of inspiration and community . In 1998 , the Modern Library ranked Go Tell It on the Mountain 39th on its list of the 100 best English - language novels of the 20th century . Time Magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English - language Novels from 1923 to 2005 . </P>
<P> Go Tell It on the Mountain is a 1953 semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin . It tells the story of John Grimes , an intelligent teenager in 1930s Harlem , and his relationship to his family and his church . The novel also reveals the back stories of John 's mother , his biological father , and his violent , religious fanatic step - father , Gabriel Grimes . The novel focuses on the role of the Pentecostal Church in the lives of African - Americans , as a negative source of repression and moral hypocrisy and also as a positive source of inspiration and community . In 1998 , the Modern Library ranked Go Tell It on the Mountain 39th on its list of the 100 best English - language novels of the 20th century . Time Magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English - language Novels from 1923 to 2005 . </P>
when does go tell it on the mountain take place
when does go tell it on the mountain take place
1930s
1930s