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

adventurous emotional hopeful informative fast-paced
  • 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

I kept hearing that this book was about the relationship between the Jewish and black communities of Pottstown, but this sprawling novel is so much more.  With as many characters as a Russian novel, some real, most made up, this novel tells stories of history, race, and community.  McBride uses real events like a flood in Pottstown in 1972, and real places like the notorious Pennhurst institution for the mentally ill and the disabled.  But it is his characters who bring life to the story.  Chona, Moshe, Nate, Addie, and Dodo and all the others will stay with me for a long time.
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