The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

I’ve read James McBride differently since I heard him say writing is like music for him; this story is nothing if not a dance. Here he paints a rich portrait of Pottstown, PA’s Chicken Hill neighborhood in the early 1930s, populated mostly by Jewish immigrants and Black people who comfortably coexist, despite the ominous proximity of the Klan. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is the neighborhood’s beating heart: residents gather to shop and gossip, welcomed by its beloved Jewish owner Chona, who treats all with kindness and freely extends credit to anyone in need. When a government inspector brings trouble to their community, the residents band together to protect their own. An exuberant, intricately-plotted tale with a wide cast of beguiling characters.