A review by anniekg
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. I wasn't 100% sold on it right at the beginning but as it developed in plot and characters I felt more and more drawn in. I loved the way the author gave every character a backstory, even the villain. It felt like a way to humanize white supremacy, not to soften it, but to remind us that it's not "monsters out there" who perpetuate violence and racism and misogyny, it's real people who are complex and human.

I found the wide array of characters super compelling and as the plot thickened I loved how I could see it all coming together, and how that one final night had so much action.

I particularly loved the foreshadowing we got in the very beginning about the body found in the well and then Spoiler how the red coat getting traded around made you go "but who is getting murdered in their red coat?" 

This was a read that is sticking with me and the themes of trauma, racism, anti-semitism and ableism are sadly so relevant today
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