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ferranda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Chronic illness, Racism, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
spacebeyonce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Classism, Ableism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Pedophilia and Child abuse
jennshelfishlife's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Moderate: Child death, Ableism, Antisemitism, Bullying, Classism, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma
Minor: Excrement and Infertility
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, Rape, Ableism, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Murder and Excrement
shottel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The writing style is immaculate as well, with perfect balance and flow and a dry sense of sarcasm. The presentation choices (font, spacing, etc.) present this book like great work of literature, like a fancy looking Bible, and it manages to earn these dressings. The plot is well-paced, with just the right amount of twists and turns. I couldnât suggest a single phrasing or word choice or paragraph restructuring that I feel would be better.
The sole reason this is not a 5/5 review is that for all its excellence in depicting numerous different ethnic groups and people of different ages and abilities, the identity of the author as a straight man comes through. Itâs the sole mark against the bookâs virtual universality, an impressive feat given itâs situated very firmly in interwar-period Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, the repeated references to womenâs breasts and buttocks and the greater priority men have in the story, among other things, was hard for me to miss.
Nevertheless, this book is still very close to a must-read. If you can manage the lengthy list of heavy topics the book covers (it pulls absolutely no punches with regards to the difficulties of life) and you think you even might possibly be interested in the setting and style, itâs worth your time.
Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Racism
Moderate: Excrement, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Hate crime
Minor: Colonisation, Medical content, Classism, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Slavery
craftyanty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Confinement, Child death, and Antisemitism
henneyce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Child death, Racial slurs, Ableism, Antisemitism, Classism, Blood, Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Rape and Child abuse
productioneer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Racial slurs and Excrement
Minor: Sexual assault and Death
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Author: James McBride
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: August 8, 2023
T H R E E ⢠W O R D S
Human ⢠Meandering ⢠Hopeful
đ S Y N O P S I S
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Mosheâs theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe.
As these charactersâ stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins of white, Christian America struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the townâs white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and communityâheaven and earthâthat sustain us.
đ T H O U G H T S
I just had that special feeling about The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store when I first stumbled across it while researching upcoming releases in early 2023. There was no hesitating adding it to my TBR and I became more and more curious about it as it garnered allocades, especially when awarded the Barnes & Nobles Book of the Year Award. Because of all of this I was ecstatic when it was chosen as our March pick for my in-person book club.
McBride introduces the reader to a substantial cast of characters, and intentionally takes a slow, meandering approach in order to deliver an incredibly human story that culminates in a satisfying ending. There is no denying it does take some time to get settled into the complex lives and relationships between these characters, yet the payoff is huge in the end. What made this such a unique reading experience for me, is there is no one central character, rather each new character becomes the main character at a different point in the story. In this way, McBride offers a melting pot community, who despite their individual struggles and differences bond together in order to help one of their own. The real magic is how McBride demonstrates how the worst of us often leads to the best of us when it really counts. It really is pure magic!
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is one of those stories that just got better and better with each page. What started out as an average read soon turned into so much more, culminating in my five-star review. Each piece of the puzzle was absolutely necessary in completing the picture. I can definitely understand the polarizing reviews as this book isn't going to work for everyone, but it was most definitely for me. This was my first venture into James McBride's work and I will be exploring his backlist further.
đ R E A D ⢠I F ⢠Y O U ⢠L I K E
⢠character driven stories
⢠quiet narratives
⢠jazz music
â ď¸ CW: racism, racial slurs, antisemitism, xenophobia, religious bigotry, sexual assault, sexual violence, rape, child abuse, pedophilia, violence, forced institutionalization, ableism, death, death of parent, grief, medical trauma, medical content, chronic illness, excrement, classism, alcohol, infertility, cursing
đ F A V O U R I T E ⢠Q U O T E S
"Light is only possible through dialogue between cultures, not through rejection of one or the other."
"Kindness. Love. Principle. It runs the world."
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Sexual violence, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Rape, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Violence, Grief, Classism, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Excrement, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Infertility, and Death of parent
death of partnerdkmorello's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Kidnapping, Racism, and Religious bigotry