Written with the same playful and endearing energy as "Deacon King Kong" (although much different in subject and tone), James McBride's latest novel didn't quite resonate with me as strongly as "Deacon" and "The Good Lord Bird" did before it. Although his literary talents haven't waned, it just wasn't the right fit for me.

Great read! I love the cultural connections between the Black community and Jewish community. McBride outdid himself with this novel it capitvates you from beginning to end.

What a wonderful read! This book has it all – beautifully construction, well-developed characters who are interesting and believable, a plot with some delightful twists, a little bit of mystery and some thought-provoking topics about immigration and race. McBride is masterful in starting rather slowly and then building his story into a crescendo. This book made me laugh and it also brought me to tears. I loved this book and highly recommend it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The story takes place on Chicken Hill, a section of Pottstown, PA. Chicken Hill is a community populated by Blacks, Jews, and immigrants. Most of the whites live down the hill in town. Needless to say, some people get along and others do not. Some people are kind and look out for each other. There are, of course, those who are out for themselves.

The story has a large and diverse cast of characters. The author has given some of the folks names which are humorous and reflect their individual personalities. We have Fatty, Big Soap, Monkey Pants, and Dodo.

The "heroes" of the story are Chona and Moshe, a Jewish couple who live on Chicken Hill. Chona runs a grocery store which continually loses money because she wants to ensure that her customers are well-fed, even when they cannot afford it. Moshe operates a theater and dance hall where he gives Black performers the opportunity to showcase their skills. On those nights, the Black community fills the dance hall.

At the beginning of the book, a skeleton is found at the bottom of a well. This is in 1972. The rest of the book is the backstory. It is an interesting way to follow the development of these fascinating characters and their community.

Wow. Such a richly rewarding book full of complex characters, Yiddish language, and human emotions. I feel like I need to reflect on this book for awhile to take it all in. Highly recommend.

I think I will be in the minority that just didn't love this book. It took me almost three months and two formats to finish. Starting out as an e-pre publication, I jumped in excited for what felt like a good old cultured story of suffering and persevering. The opening of this story, a skeleton in the bottom of a well. I was hooked!
Then we go back in time to learn who and how and when and why is there a body in the bottom of this well??? Now that's a journey my friends. This book goes in a gazillion different directions with just as many characters and as my brain tries to piece together the connections, the who is who of which sub-plot, my eyes glaze over and I have to go back because what did I just read? My mind wandered, and wondered, where is this going? I struggled to stay interested. Then the book was published, and I thought, maybe I will try this on audio. I must finish the book.
The audio was a bit better, I felt I had more opportunities to stay in the book as I drive drive drive all over the land. The writing was not bad, it was great and descriptive, vibrant characters with big and little personalities, why didn't this grab me? Was all of this necessary to paint the picture of the little community Chicken Hill? It felt long winded and anti-climactic. I get the jist, it takes a village, everyone has their part to make the world go round,
Thank you to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for the opportunity to read this prepublication edition in exchange for an honest review.

Requested this as editorial background reading for a review on BookBrowse:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/1k299648/the-heaven-earth-grocery-store#reviews
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/btb/index.cfm/ref/1k299648/the-heaven-earth-grocery-store#btb

I heard good things about this book and it did not disappoint. If anything it exceeded my expectations.
The book begins in 1972 with the discovery of a skeleton at the bottom of an old well. The only clue is a small mezuzah. The rest of the book takes us back in time to the community of Chicken Hill, a place where immigrant Jews and African Americans live together. As the complex and fascinating relationships of the residents are revealed we learn how that body got in the well.
I will be recommending this book to friends and am anxious to discuss it.

James McBride is a gifted writer. This is a book that you not so much read as experience on a gut level. There are sections that elicit emotions so difficult that you must stop reading in order to process them and calm yourself.

Pottstown, Pennsylvania in 1936, and the Chicken Hill section of it particularly, is composed of a mixture of Eastern European Jews and Black residents. The single grocery store is run by Chona, wife of Moshe, the rabbi of the shul or synagogue. There are also a few Italian families in the mix.

Chona, or Chana (if you want to pronounce it correctly, is more like Hannah with a guttural H sound as in Chanukah.). She is disabled and limps from a shortened leg due to childhood polio. She epitomizes the practice of Tikkun Olam, making the world a better place by your actions. She gives credit to the poor residents and candy to the children. As a result, the store never makes a profit.

There are multiple characters, some with strange names, that you will never confuse as their personalities are so sharply drawn. Pottstown is typical in that the white residents include a doctor and elected officials who are out only for themselves and have no interest in helping the less fortunate in their community.

It would be an injustice to describe more of the story. It must be read and ingested and there is plenty of suspense and excitement and empathy to hold your interest. It is a fitting tribute to Sy Friend, the man to whom it is dedicated.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

(*Note: I am a fluent Yiddish speaker and I wish that McBride had used one more knowledgeable to have correct pronounciations and translations of the many Yiddish words used.)

Wow! I just loved, loved, loved this book. The characters just came to life and the story so heartbreaking but also had humor and love and compassion. So good!

I loved this book so much that when I finished reading it, I went back to the beginning and started reading it again. I thought Deacon King Kong was McBride’s seminal work but I was wrong. I think it’s The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. From The Color of Water I remember him saying that his father was Black and his mother was Jewish and realized he gave his Jewish self a voice in this book. Writers are encouraged to “write what you know” and he did.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for a review and after mulling it over for the past couple of days I realize I have nothing to add to what has already been said. My book club selects the roster of books for next year at the December meeting and this is the book I’ll be pitching. Thanks Riverhead Books and Random House!!

I started this one and could not get into it. Since I am screening adult books for young adult readers, I don’t think I am likely to finish it or purchase it.

Thank you to NetGalley, author James McBridge, and Riverhead Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was my first book I read by James McBride, and it certainly will not be my last! I completely understand why he is such an acclaimed author, as this book is a masterpiece in many ways. Perhaps the most obvious way is the fact that The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is an absolute masterclass in character work. This is a prime example of a character-driven story that truly creates complicated, complex characters that the reader can recognize and connect with. In places, the book almost goes a bit TOO heavy with characterization, which was a bit of a downfall even for me who enjoys these types of stories. Parts 1 and 3 held my interest so well, but I found that Part 2 dragged quite a bit, and I was getting frustrated in the middle about hearing so in depth about certain characters' backgrounds whereas I wanted to know what was happening plot-wise. However, I commend McBride for writing such a complex, thorough story that connects two different groups of people that you don't normally read about together in a book. There are so many interesting critiques, observations, and parallels about the Jewish and Black communities within the setting of this book, and I appreciate McBride for pointing out how even within different communities, there is still such nuance and differences in ways of life. There is a lot going on and being tackled within The Heaven & Earth Grocery story that could have perhaps benefitted from more fine-tuning/editing but in the end succeeds in a beautifully written and unique saga.

East Coast Jewish immigrants meets, black migration to the North in this very real novel about people helping people in their quest to achieve the American dream. Chona, a Jewish woman, runes the Heaven and Earth grocery store. While she may be physically weak in body she has the might of 10 people in character. The events take place in an undesirable place called Chicken Hill, where most residents are poor and black. The characters are richly developed, the story is unique and well developed. A glimpse into an era that has it's own unique place in time. 1930's, East Coast United States, with all kinds of immigrants arriving, making a new life along side one another. Some good people, and some bad, some color blind, some not. I love James McBride's writing and his stories that hit my soul every time.

James McBride has such a consistently strong style of writing and developing characters that you care about, whether you love them or hate them. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store intertwines the past history of a small town in Pennsylvania during the depression with the discovery of a mystery skeleton in the more recent time. The story takes its sweet time developing the mystery while dealing with so many characters and their stories. While this sometimes felt like a lot to keep up with, McBride keeps you going with his beautiful writing and it's all worth it in the end. Thank you to Penguin Group, Riverhead Books, and NetGalley for the early access in return for my honest opinion. I look forward to recommending this book to patrons.

Oh, my goodness! I loved this book!! From the prologue and the discovery of a body (in the 1970s) at the bottom of a well to the final reveal of who and how and why, I could not put this book down. Set in a small town in PA in the 1930s, McBride has incorporated all the emotion and culture of the time. In Pottstown, PA a variety of ethnic groups live side by side in tenuous civility. The story focuses on Chona and Moshe, a Jewish couple, who own the local theaters and the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. The store is on the edge of Chicken Hill, an African-American community that in that era was home to the service workers of the town. Addie and Nate work for and with Chona and Moshe in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Then there are the white people -- the Doctor and other city founders who "run" the industry and city services, hang out at the country club and march with the KKK.

McBride has recreated what life was like for each of these communities, and I was completely drawn into the lives of the residents. Although there is certainly some social commentary (how could there not be) about racism, religious bigotry, and classism, it does not overwhelm the story and the mystery of who is at the bottom of that well. The prejudices are just part of life in Pottstown, but the message is clear. There are "good guys" and "bad guys" in each of the groups, and (thankfully) it all turns out in the end -- not "happily ever after", but certainly in a satisfactory way. I laughed, cried, gasped, and cheered. It warmed my heart and broke it at the same time. Just wonderful!

A word of caution -- there are two things that will likely turn off some readers. ONE -- the language is appropriate for the era. There are many racial and ethnic pejoratives, including the "N-word" and many negative comments about Jews, Poles, Italians, and more. If you are offended by this, avoid this book. McBride clearly includes these words and comments to bring authenticity to the story. TWO -- this is not a straightforward narrative. There are many circular conversations, many switches between characters, many flashbacks. The story is told in the manner of a long conversation or story told by one of the characters from that person's point of view, then the focus changes to someone else's story and point of view. I loved it and thought it was a very natural way of telling the story, but I'm sure others will be confused. Stick with it!! It's worth it!!

I know so many people love this book , The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store... I realize that I am in the minority but I did not enjoy this story. I found the plot hard to follow and slow moving. It just overall was not an engaging read for me.

McBride does a good job with figurative language and visual imagery with the setting and character development. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Riverhead for the ARC digital download reading opportunity.

James McBride’s latest novel opens with the discovery of a skeleton in a well and then reaches back to the mid-1930s to introduce us to the people who inhabit a section of Pottstown, PA. This is the section of town that’s been abandoned by people who strive upward and is inhabited by mostly-immigrant Jews and Blacks. McBride takes his time to begin the story’s plot while he introduces is to a bevy of characters, who also include people who are physically challenged: victims of polio, an orphan who has lost his hearing in a home accident, and a boy institutionalized because of what was then called cerebral palsy. Without revealing any spoilers, I can say that the book is riveting and highlights the importance of love and inclusion. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by award-wining author James McBride is a complex, difficult novel to describe, but one that deserves your attention. Here are some thoughts from the author’s interview on PBS NewsHour:

Video link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1ToA-2TsnQ

Encouraging writers to forget race and focus on humanity, McBride says, "Self-definition is the first step towards self-control. ... just appreciate everyone for who they are." He develops rich characters in his latest novel which centers on Pottstown Pennsylvania's Chicken Hill neighborhood where Moshe and Chona Ludlow integrated a theater and ran a grocery store although the community was mostly filled with Black residents, including de facto community leader Nate Timblin (the theater's janitor) and his wife, Addie. A skeleton is found in 1972, but relevant events from 40 years earlier drive the mystery and McBride's empathetic social commentary about marginalized groups (Jews, Blacks, Italian immigrants) in America. THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE was a LibraryReads selection for August 2023 and received multiple starred reviews: Booklist ("Funny, tender, knockabout, gritty, and suspenseful"), Kirkus ("pitch-perfect dialogue"), Library Journal ("compellingly written, and not to be missed"), AND Publishers Weekly ("endlessly rich saga"). For additional perspective, especially about the novel's rather slow pace, here is the New York Times review:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/books/review/the-heaven-and-earth-grocery-store-james-mcbride.html

James McBride’s latest novel is a masterpiece. He captures the rhythms and people of Chicken Hill beautifully; every character is fully realized. The novel reminded me at times of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God.