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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Chona had never been one to play by the rules of American society. She did not experience the world as most people did. To her, the world was not a china closet where you admire this and don’t touch that. Rather, she saw it as a place where every act of living was a chance for tikkun olam, to improve the world.
Oh, boy. Where to start?
While I enjoyed some parts of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, there are just some things that just threw off the vibe for me.
An unclear title, multiple plots that had nothing to do with each other, and in general, just some things that for me were weird, were what threw me off and didn't allow me to enjoy this book like other reads I have enjoyed.
This read, although had lots of elements I love (historical fiction, Jewish and African American societies, the US in the 30's), they didn't match for me fully and weren't a full blown on perfect read.
However, the characters were THE highlight of this book. I absolutely loved the exchange that happened in Chicken Hill and everything that happened.
But, just some details made it not that much of an enjoyable read.
So, first not great read of the year.
General rating: 2/5
Characters: 5/5
Narrative: 1,5/5
Writing: 2,5/5
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love, hate, racism, antisemitism, redemption, justice, community, and corruption are all major themes of this winding novel. There are a lot of characters (possibly a few too many), but the story is well-developed, and the language and writing are beautiful. Through all these characters and their backstories, McBride weaves together a vibrant picture of a community in a small town called Pottstown in 1930s Pennsylvania—a community consisting of Jewish immigrants, Black residents, an entitled racist Klan member, and others.
As the son of a Black man and a Polish immigrant/Jewish mother, McBride is uniquely positioned to examine the interplay of antisemitism and racism, and I'm so glad he wrote this book. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store doesn't shy away from the hard things; intra-racial discrimination and community factions based on race and religion are front and center throughout. A lot of it is ugly, but McBride also explores how the integrity and love of one person can change a community. Justice is not portrayed as perfect, nor does redemption come cheap in this story—nor should they. McBride manages to write a story that offers hope without glossing over the worst of humanity or resorting to superficial takeaways or cheesy plot devices.
Minor criticism—I feel like I can't give it 5 full stars because it does start slowly, and the list of characters does feel a little unwieldy at times. Normally I'd knock a whole star off for these, but once the novel got going, I didn't want to put it down, and by the end, I was definitely teary, which is a testament to the power of the story.
One more note (just my $0.02): I would disagree with those who say there are a lot of side plots; there are a ton of backstories, but they aren't side plots. The backstories are a deliberate literary device McBride uses to give depth and dimension to the community.
As the son of a Black man and a Polish immigrant/Jewish mother, McBride is uniquely positioned to examine the interplay of antisemitism and racism, and I'm so glad he wrote this book. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store doesn't shy away from the hard things; intra-racial discrimination and community factions based on race and religion are front and center throughout. A lot of it is ugly, but McBride also explores how the integrity and love of one person can change a community. Justice is not portrayed as perfect, nor does redemption come cheap in this story—nor should they. McBride manages to write a story that offers hope without glossing over the worst of humanity or resorting to superficial takeaways or cheesy plot devices.
Minor criticism—I feel like I can't give it 5 full stars because it does start slowly, and the list of characters does feel a little unwieldy at times. Normally I'd knock a whole star off for these, but once the novel got going, I didn't want to put it down, and by the end, I was definitely teary, which is a testament to the power of the story.
One more note (just my $0.02): I would disagree with those who say there are a lot of side plots; there are a ton of backstories, but they aren't side plots. The backstories are a deliberate literary device McBride uses to give depth and dimension to the community.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Antisemitism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Excrement, Murder
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Murder
This book was a little heavy handed at times but McBride has a clear talent for storytelling.
eeeee i wish i liked it
but i will be thinking about it
but i will be thinking about it
Personally did not enjoy this book and almost did not finish it. If I wasn’t reading it as a part of a reading challenge, I probably would not have finished it. (I did walk away and read another book before finishing this one.) The book felt like it rambled and could benefit from a good editor who would cut down much of the text. It felt very disjointed and not something that I enjoyed as someone reading for pleasure. It felt very over hyped.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
medium-paced