A review by wfrench09
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

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

2.0

This book features a large cast of characters whose lives intertwine and portray a complex story about integration and race relations in the early 1900s. I found the many characters hard to keep track of, and the suspense of the story got weak around the middle of the book. 50 pages could've been chopped from the book, and it would've helped the pacing of the story. Also, while the story is incredibly timely and the author draws some parallels to today's world, I found it slightly pedantic at times. 
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