4.5*
The novel takes place in 1972 Pottstown, a small town in Pennsylvania. It centers on a community of Jewish and Black families that live on the outskirts of the town, on Chicken Hill. The wealthier, mostly white residents, live within the town itself.

Chona and her husband Moshe Ludlow own a grocery store and a music hall. They serve all the residents of Chicken Hill and get along with all their neighbors. But life for the residents of Chicken Hill is complicated and McBride tells of the difficulties the people have with simple things like access to water and more importantly, dealing with racial barriers.

Like Dickens, McBride introduces his story by opening doors to the varied stories of his characters. Each character brings a new element to the plot and these threads are knit together into a novel that reveals the wonder of the human spirit and the graciousness of simple acts of kindness amidst the cruelty of the world. Each story unfolds and is tied into the narrative that touches the heart of the reader.

Those looking for a straightforward plot full of action will be disappointed. This is a novel that is rich in description, in character, in the evolution of the interconnectedness of the threads that make up the plot. It is a novel to savor and to celebrate for the writing and the humanity.

This historical fiction is everything the world of books was missing. A stunning creation, this book will have a lasting impact for years to come.

In James McBride's evocative novel, the unearthing of a skeleton in the foundations of a new development in 1972 shatters the seemingly placid surface of Pottstown. "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store" plunges readers into Chicken Hill, a neglected neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans coexist amid shared aspirations and hidden burdens.

McBride weaves a tapestry of interconnected lives, unraveling the mysteries and secrets held by the community. As the narratives entwine, the struggles of those on society's fringes are laid bare, portraying the resilience and sacrifices required for survival. The author skillfully portrays the convergence of diverse lives, highlighting the tenacity and fortitude of those navigating hardship and adversity.

Through the revelations of Chicken Hill's buried past and the complicity of the town's white establishment, McBride deftly explores themes of societal injustice and the enduring power of love and community. In the darkness of their circumstances, the novel beautifully underscores the resilience found in bonds forged through adversity.

"The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store" is a poignant testament to McBride's storytelling prowess, a narrative that deftly captures the human spirit's resilience amidst hardship. McBride's poignant depiction of love, solidarity, and the endurance of marginalized communities resonates profoundly, painting a vivid portrait of the complex tapestry of human existence.

I just reviewed The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. #TheHeavenEarthGroceryStore #NetGalley

For this to be my introduction to James McBride, I am thoroughly pleased. I really enjoyed his writing throughout this entire story. I loved that this was a story of family and community, music and love all rolled up into a historical fiction. I must admit, I picked this book up because I know where Pottstown, Pennsylvania is and the name Chicken Hill intrigued me. I appreciated McBride's exploration of community resilience and the evolving definition of family between Black and Jewish Americans in the 1930s.

My only issue is that there were too many characters for me to completely understand what was happening. The vast amount of characters also didn't allow me to really root for them because I had quickly moved on to another character and their interesting story.

I cannot believe it took me so long to pick up this book. Richly detailed, full of marvelously developed characters, and wonderfully plotted this is one of those books that you don't, as a reader, want to end. McBride is able to weave together a tale that incorporates history and culture into a complex beautifully written book. This is most likely the best book I have read this year.

Brilliant is an applicable description of this book.
To attempt to explain this brilliant story will not do it justice. When a man's remains are found in PA, in 1972, the mystery begins.
The neighborhood of Chicken Hill, which included African Americans and Jews who had migrated from different parts of the work living side by side, is greatly impacted when the story begins. Yet, this brief summary does not begin to describe the struggles, ambitions, love and loss exhibited by the main and supporting characters in this community. As the story progresses, the characters come alive. Survival is key and the means to keep that survival moving forward is tested, and, ultimately, triumphant.
The author's writing skill gave me the pleasure of feeling so invested in the story's outcome and was overwhelming. I regretted when the book ended, which, is the sign of a superb accomplishment.

Amazing! The writing is beautiful, the characters unique and wonderfully crafted, and the story immediately grabbed my attention and carried me along.

I have enjoyed all of McBride's previous books, so I went into reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store with great enthusiasm. Sadly, I didn't enjoy this book as much as his previous works. I felt as though there were too many subplots for me to follow, and that these took away from Dodo's story (which I very much wanted to finish). Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced e-reader copy.

Poignant, touching, heartfelt, and FUNNY, this book is signature McBride and the book I needed this year. The warmth he brings to this community is unlike anything I've ever read, and every single character felt real to me. One of my favorite books of the year by far!

Written with the same playful and endearing energy as "Deacon King Kong" (although much different in subject and tone), James McBride's latest novel didn't quite resonate with me as strongly as "Deacon" and "The Good Lord Bird" did before it. Although his literary talents haven't waned, it just wasn't the right fit for me.

Great read! I love the cultural connections between the Black community and Jewish community. McBride outdid himself with this novel it capitvates you from beginning to end.

What a wonderful read! This book has it all – beautifully construction, well-developed characters who are interesting and believable, a plot with some delightful twists, a little bit of mystery and some thought-provoking topics about immigration and race. McBride is masterful in starting rather slowly and then building his story into a crescendo. This book made me laugh and it also brought me to tears. I loved this book and highly recommend it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The story takes place on Chicken Hill, a section of Pottstown, PA. Chicken Hill is a community populated by Blacks, Jews, and immigrants. Most of the whites live down the hill in town. Needless to say, some people get along and others do not. Some people are kind and look out for each other. There are, of course, those who are out for themselves.

The story has a large and diverse cast of characters. The author has given some of the folks names which are humorous and reflect their individual personalities. We have Fatty, Big Soap, Monkey Pants, and Dodo.

The "heroes" of the story are Chona and Moshe, a Jewish couple who live on Chicken Hill. Chona runs a grocery store which continually loses money because she wants to ensure that her customers are well-fed, even when they cannot afford it. Moshe operates a theater and dance hall where he gives Black performers the opportunity to showcase their skills. On those nights, the Black community fills the dance hall.

At the beginning of the book, a skeleton is found at the bottom of a well. This is in 1972. The rest of the book is the backstory. It is an interesting way to follow the development of these fascinating characters and their community.

Wow. Such a richly rewarding book full of complex characters, Yiddish language, and human emotions. I feel like I need to reflect on this book for awhile to take it all in. Highly recommend.

I think I will be in the minority that just didn't love this book. It took me almost three months and two formats to finish. Starting out as an e-pre publication, I jumped in excited for what felt like a good old cultured story of suffering and persevering. The opening of this story, a skeleton in the bottom of a well. I was hooked!
Then we go back in time to learn who and how and when and why is there a body in the bottom of this well??? Now that's a journey my friends. This book goes in a gazillion different directions with just as many characters and as my brain tries to piece together the connections, the who is who of which sub-plot, my eyes glaze over and I have to go back because what did I just read? My mind wandered, and wondered, where is this going? I struggled to stay interested. Then the book was published, and I thought, maybe I will try this on audio. I must finish the book.
The audio was a bit better, I felt I had more opportunities to stay in the book as I drive drive drive all over the land. The writing was not bad, it was great and descriptive, vibrant characters with big and little personalities, why didn't this grab me? Was all of this necessary to paint the picture of the little community Chicken Hill? It felt long winded and anti-climactic. I get the jist, it takes a village, everyone has their part to make the world go round,
Thank you to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for the opportunity to read this prepublication edition in exchange for an honest review.

Requested this as editorial background reading for a review on BookBrowse:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/1k299648/the-heaven-earth-grocery-store#reviews
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/btb/index.cfm/ref/1k299648/the-heaven-earth-grocery-store#btb

I heard good things about this book and it did not disappoint. If anything it exceeded my expectations.
The book begins in 1972 with the discovery of a skeleton at the bottom of an old well. The only clue is a small mezuzah. The rest of the book takes us back in time to the community of Chicken Hill, a place where immigrant Jews and African Americans live together. As the complex and fascinating relationships of the residents are revealed we learn how that body got in the well.
I will be recommending this book to friends and am anxious to discuss it.

James McBride is a gifted writer. This is a book that you not so much read as experience on a gut level. There are sections that elicit emotions so difficult that you must stop reading in order to process them and calm yourself.

Pottstown, Pennsylvania in 1936, and the Chicken Hill section of it particularly, is composed of a mixture of Eastern European Jews and Black residents. The single grocery store is run by Chona, wife of Moshe, the rabbi of the shul or synagogue. There are also a few Italian families in the mix.

Chona, or Chana (if you want to pronounce it correctly, is more like Hannah with a guttural H sound as in Chanukah.). She is disabled and limps from a shortened leg due to childhood polio. She epitomizes the practice of Tikkun Olam, making the world a better place by your actions. She gives credit to the poor residents and candy to the children. As a result, the store never makes a profit.

There are multiple characters, some with strange names, that you will never confuse as their personalities are so sharply drawn. Pottstown is typical in that the white residents include a doctor and elected officials who are out only for themselves and have no interest in helping the less fortunate in their community.

It would be an injustice to describe more of the story. It must be read and ingested and there is plenty of suspense and excitement and empathy to hold your interest. It is a fitting tribute to Sy Friend, the man to whom it is dedicated.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

(*Note: I am a fluent Yiddish speaker and I wish that McBride had used one more knowledgeable to have correct pronounciations and translations of the many Yiddish words used.)

Wow! I just loved, loved, loved this book. The characters just came to life and the story so heartbreaking but also had humor and love and compassion. So good!

I loved this book so much that when I finished reading it, I went back to the beginning and started reading it again. I thought Deacon King Kong was McBride’s seminal work but I was wrong. I think it’s The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. From The Color of Water I remember him saying that his father was Black and his mother was Jewish and realized he gave his Jewish self a voice in this book. Writers are encouraged to “write what you know” and he did.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for a review and after mulling it over for the past couple of days I realize I have nothing to add to what has already been said. My book club selects the roster of books for next year at the December meeting and this is the book I’ll be pitching. Thanks Riverhead Books and Random House!!