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

challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

2.5 stars for enjoyment. I am very surprised how much I didn't enjoy reading this book! I love a family saga and Booklist's review described this as a "neighborhood saga." I often felt like I was just getting interested in a set of characters and then it would shift to another set. At some point someone described this as a mystery and I disagree with that assessment. Yes, there are certain suspenseful plot points, but the mystery doesn't drive the story. The leisurely pace grated and I wish there had been more women characters. All of the above is completely my preference based on the types of stories I enjoy reading and isn't a comment on McBride storytelling skill (which is immense). From the professional reviews, I was expecting the racism, anti-Semitism, and ableism, but none of them mentioned the sexual violence (rape and assault). 
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