Fiction

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

  • Downloads：7737
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-11-02 04:21:44
  • Update Date：2025-09-15
  • Status：finish
  • Author：James McBride
  • ISBN：B0BPTKTBB2
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Ann Marie ，

4。5

Donna Lindsay ，

I chose to read this book because it took place in Pottstown， PA。 I'm all too familiar with this location， especially back in the late 60's to 70's。I'm also familiar with Pennhurst State Hospital， and the writing that took place there upset me to a point that I had a hard time continuing the read。I hard a difficult time keeping so many characters straight。 I know all of these folks were necessary to McBride's telling of his story， but， this made it almost impossible for me。I wanted to say I like I chose to read this book because it took place in Pottstown， PA。 I'm all too familiar with this location， especially back in the late 60's to 70's。I'm also familiar with Pennhurst State Hospital， and the writing that took place there upset me to a point that I had a hard time continuing the read。I hard a difficult time keeping so many characters straight。 I know all of these folks were necessary to McBride's telling of his story， but， this made it almost impossible for me。I wanted to say I liked it better， but just couldn't。 。。。more

Kate ，

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is fabulous！ James McBride shares a complex intertwining of stories。 There were so many side channels and eddies as I began that I didn’t see how they could possibly connect， yet they did。 Personally， I needed a very focused space to read this book。 Listening in even a little traffic didn’t work。 Listening in short bits didn’t work。 A long rainy day to listen was great— it was that kind of book for me。 I am so glad I stayed with the story and let it develop when The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is fabulous！ James McBride shares a complex intertwining of stories。 There were so many side channels and eddies as I began that I didn’t see how they could possibly connect， yet they did。 Personally， I needed a very focused space to read this book。 Listening in even a little traffic didn’t work。 Listening in short bits didn’t work。 A long rainy day to listen was great— it was that kind of book for me。 I am so glad I stayed with the story and let it develop when I had time to truly listen。 The audible version is expertly read by Dominic Hoffman， who seamlessly transitions between the voices of the many characters。Each individual has a different perspective， knows some of what happened， adds texture in one area， leaves gaps in others。 That to me is how real life stories exist— we hear them in bits and pieces as we get to know people。 We gather elements from one observer and a very different interpretation from someone else。 There is so much to connect with in this book。 Individuals come together from many places to a small town in eastern Pennsylvania in the 1930s。 Many of the characters are recent arrivals and each exudes their particular heritage as they work to make a life for themselves and their progeny。 How much do we each know of our heritage and the heritage of those around us？ How do we connect with others in our commonalities and in our differences？If you are leading this book in discussion， I recommend a book guide for The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store。 。。。more

Shauna ，

Loved it！ McBride is one of my absolute favorite authors， and that continues with this book。 I love his look at race， and religion， and disabilities。 He makes me look at how I interact and how I perceive and treat others。 I can always do better！ I want to be more like Chona。

Charlotte ，

Too many characters。 Hard to follow as a novel with a plot。 The discourse continues to jump from one storyline to another with。no apparent reason。 Disorganized。

Kate Sugarman ，

So beautiful I am still crying

Rae Khahn ，

It was okay， but a slow read。 The book was 85% character development and then everything happened in the last 75 pages of the book。

Shannon ，

This was a gorgeous story of resilience， humanity， and the everlasting reach of kindness in the face of bigotry and oppression。 It made me cry with both sorrow and joy。 Dominic Hoffman is one of the best narrators I’ve ever heard。

Bob Wainess ，

I have loved other James McBride books but this one didn't work for me。 I felt it needed editing and focus。 It's messages of cruelty and discrimination were clear and the characters were drawn with compassion and humor。 The plot was good。 It was just too unfocused for me。 Nice to see a novel of blacks and Jews so beautifully drawn。 I have loved other James McBride books but this one didn't work for me。 I felt it needed editing and focus。 It's messages of cruelty and discrimination were clear and the characters were drawn with compassion and humor。 The plot was good。 It was just too unfocused for me。 Nice to see a novel of blacks and Jews so beautifully drawn。 。。。more

Maryanne Hayde ，

James McBride's love for humanity comes alive in The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store。 As you begin reading you are plopped into an imperfect community but it quickly becomes apparent that the characters are deeply connected and will go out of their way to help each other。 Once you start reading you won’t want to put it down。 I loved the vivid character and setting。 The plot also kept me on my toes。 James McBride's love for humanity comes alive in The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store。 As you begin reading you are plopped into an imperfect community but it quickly becomes apparent that the characters are deeply connected and will go out of their way to help each other。 Once you start reading you won’t want to put it down。 I loved the vivid character and setting。 The plot also kept me on my toes。 。。。more

Sherry Rautenberg ，

Struggled to keep going with this one…

Jill Connolly ，

I count it a bit slow in the beginning but kept with it and could not put it down。 The writing is beautiful typical of the author。 I recommend this book。

Erica ，

So beautifully written。 We learn the story of a town that is home to a black community and a Jewish one。 The author eloquently describes and illustrates just how the lives of the black and Jewish people in Pottstown became intertwined throughout the years and how that history foreshadows the life experiences of a single little boy， DoDo。Everything was perfectly placed and perfectly timed。 There is a quote from the book along the lines of “everything has to do with everything。” The Low Gods are a So beautifully written。 We learn the story of a town that is home to a black community and a Jewish one。 The author eloquently describes and illustrates just how the lives of the black and Jewish people in Pottstown became intertwined throughout the years and how that history foreshadows the life experiences of a single little boy， DoDo。Everything was perfectly placed and perfectly timed。 There is a quote from the book along the lines of “everything has to do with everything。” The Low Gods are a special people。 。。。more

Ty ，

Hmm。 It’s not that I disliked this， it’s just that the title and the font on the cover were my favorite parts。

Ryan Billings ，

This was a beautiful book — a unique mystery （and many side plots） told through the interesting lens of multiple cultures in southeastern Pennsylvania in the early 20th century。 As a former Philadelphian I personally loved the historical aspects of this book。 I also appreciated the overall message， and overall theme of the importance of showing kindness to all。However， I will say this book was far too long and included way too many characters。 Like， too many to keep track of。That being said， I e This was a beautiful book — a unique mystery （and many side plots） told through the interesting lens of multiple cultures in southeastern Pennsylvania in the early 20th century。 As a former Philadelphian I personally loved the historical aspects of this book。 I also appreciated the overall message， and overall theme of the importance of showing kindness to all。However， I will say this book was far too long and included way too many characters。 Like， too many to keep track of。That being said， I enjoyed it a lot and it was very timely and thought-provoking。 Worth the read for sure if you have the time and the brainpower。 。。。more

Gregory P ，

When Fatty and Bernice had their little conversation near the end， wow， it made me want to cry。 Did I cry？ Okay， okay， I cried inside。

Kristen Selle ，

A little slow in some parts but the end is worth it。

Kris ，

In 1972， when workers in Pottstown， Pennsylvania， were digging the foundations for a new development， the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well。 Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill， the dilapidated neighbourhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows。As these characters' stories overlap and deepen， it becomes clear how much the pe In 1972， when workers in Pottstown， Pennsylvania， were digging the foundations for a new development， the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well。 Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill， the dilapidated neighbourhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows。As these characters' stories overlap and deepen， it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins struggle and what they must do to survive。 When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town's white establishment played in it， McBride shows us that even in dark times， it is love and community-heaven and earth-that sustain us。I'm not really sure what to think about this book。 It was definitely not my favorite， but I didn't hate it。 I never felt like I got any kind of flow to the story。 But it did make me think of how hard it would be to live a life on the margins。 That is a life SO many live。 。。。more

David Greenberg ，

Beautifully written， honest and ultimately hopeful。 Don't miss it！ Beautifully written， honest and ultimately hopeful。 Don't miss it！ 。。。more

Lauren O'Dell ，

James McBride does it again with his newest novel， creating an all-consuming story that brings awareness to the injustices that can occur within a small community， but also the power of hope that that same community can curate。 For teachers who are thinking about including this novel into their curriculum， this is certainly a challenge， but one that is worth the risk。 In the classroom， students want to be able to see representations of themselves， and McBride brings to light the accomplishments， James McBride does it again with his newest novel， creating an all-consuming story that brings awareness to the injustices that can occur within a small community， but also the power of hope that that same community can curate。 For teachers who are thinking about including this novel into their curriculum， this is certainly a challenge， but one that is worth the risk。 In the classroom， students want to be able to see representations of themselves， and McBride brings to light the accomplishments， triumphs， and perspectives of people that we don't usually hear from in many literary texts。 There is something so special about the characters that McBride has created–from Chona's boldness to Dodo's bravery， it provides students with the opportunity to imagine individuals that break barriers and strive for change， even when it looks as though change is impossible。 For readers， James McBride is the king of detail–his vivid imagery is colorful and bright， bringing the words to life。 Obviously， I recommend this book， but I would also say that it does take at least 50 pages before the plot truly thickens， so be patient！ 。。。more

Nancy Link ，

Good for the SoulThis is not an “easy” read。 You have to work at it - there are a lot of characters， but each is richly drawn。 Some are the most evil among us， but the goodness in a loosely connected network of people triumphs。 And that is a good message to take from any novel - and this one rewards the reader and you will be sad it is over as you turn the last page。

Tamara Santos ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I’m actually big on backstory and description， but there is such a thing as too much detail。 And that’s what this book has。 We go down rabbit holes and off on tangents that are simply not needed。 Like where the water comes from， who pays for it， is it clean/dirty， lots of details about water pipes and wells that doesn’t help to tell the story of how the skeleton is found at the bottom of the well。 Which also， BTW， is not a “long-held secret kept by the residents of Chicken Hill” （as the book des I’m actually big on backstory and description， but there is such a thing as too much detail。 And that’s what this book has。 We go down rabbit holes and off on tangents that are simply not needed。 Like where the water comes from， who pays for it， is it clean/dirty， lots of details about water pipes and wells that doesn’t help to tell the story of how the skeleton is found at the bottom of the well。 Which also， BTW， is not a “long-held secret kept by the residents of Chicken Hill” （as the book description states） because no one knew Doc was the one who fell in！ This is also not a murder mystery。 Yes， there is a skeleton found at the beginning of the story， but not once do we hear about anyone trying to figure out who it was or how it happened。 Two stars for my reading/listening experience， but the story is actually a good one and this author clearly has an enormous imagination， so I’m giving it three。 I actually think this would make a fabulous movie since there are many visual elements and it would help to condense it into a reasonable timeframe and cut away the extraneous text。 。。。more

Kathy Piselli ，

This was a page turner for me， an story nothing like I expected， with horror moments and feel-good moments， crowned by the acknowledgements in which McBride explains how the book came to be。 There is a grocery store called Heaven and Earth。 But there are also efforts by some of the characters to move heaven and earth to save others。 That's what I thought the story was about。 This was a page turner for me， an story nothing like I expected， with horror moments and feel-good moments， crowned by the acknowledgements in which McBride explains how the book came to be。 There is a grocery store called Heaven and Earth。 But there are also efforts by some of the characters to move heaven and earth to save others。 That's what I thought the story was about。 。。。more

Jess Manners ，

I loved this a lot。 It kept reminding me of Middlesex， in the sense that it's nominally just about a small group of people， but the looping narrative means that it ends up actually being about--like， what it means to be a non-WASP in the 20th century。 I admit that I got a bit lost with the ins and outs of the water plot， which turned out to be more essential than I had hoped， when I first suspected I wasn't getting it all， but I think I got the basic idea。。。？As I was finishing the novel （way too I loved this a lot。 It kept reminding me of Middlesex， in the sense that it's nominally just about a small group of people， but the looping narrative means that it ends up actually being about--like， what it means to be a non-WASP in the 20th century。 I admit that I got a bit lost with the ins and outs of the water plot， which turned out to be more essential than I had hoped， when I first suspected I wasn't getting it all， but I think I got the basic idea。。。？As I was finishing the novel （way too late last night--one of those！）， I also realized that I was sort of assuming this was like a Stephen King novel。。。in the sense that lots of horrible things will happen， and for most of the book， the good， kind people are at the mercy of those who are willing to completely exploit their power， but then good will prevail， and all those complicated moving parts were going to converge to mean that karma and justice and all that came to pass。。。but THEN I started worrying that it might be more like The Wire， and that it was going to end on this nihilistic note， where small decisions and micro-acts of selfishness or obliviousness or carelessness were going to converge in a way that meant that the horrible people were allowed to go on being horrible， and only the kind， powerless folks end up getting punished。I guess I won't say which one it ended up being， because of spoilers and all， but I'll also point out that cowardly little me gave this 5 stars。。。 。。。more

JANEY MCGEARY ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Set in the 30s in Pottstown PA where， on Chicken Hill， Blacks and Jews are close， sometimes very close， as they simmer against the oppression of the whites who barely see them。 An orphaned boy is sent to the dreaded Pennhurst asylum after witnessing one of the privileged attempt to rape the woman who is caring for him， leading to her death。 The community bonds together to free him， and in the process， friendship and family ties are tested。 McBride's writing is magnificent。 The characters are so Set in the 30s in Pottstown PA where， on Chicken Hill， Blacks and Jews are close， sometimes very close， as they simmer against the oppression of the whites who barely see them。 An orphaned boy is sent to the dreaded Pennhurst asylum after witnessing one of the privileged attempt to rape the woman who is caring for him， leading to her death。 The community bonds together to free him， and in the process， friendship and family ties are tested。 McBride's writing is magnificent。 The characters are so very real。 。。。more

Kristin Lees ，

Something told me I would love this book when I saw the cover。 After seconds of listening， I was hooked。 This is a stunningly beautiful story of resilience， racism and the triumph of the human spirit。 The characters were wonderful and layered （except for a few horrible people）。 The narration was amazing; everyone should listen/read this one。 Content can be uneasy， but this is the real world。 Easily in my top 3 of 2023 and top 10 of my lifetime！

Jacqueline ，

What a masterpiece！ The way every single thing came together and was so beautifully written。 Re-reading the prologue after finishing the story left me in awe。 Wow。

Sarah ，

Might give it 3。5 stars if I could。 I enjoyed the overall story but getting through it and to the end was a struggle。 Too much "filler" and maybe a few too many characters to keep track of with little parts to each throughout。 Might give it 3。5 stars if I could。 I enjoyed the overall story but getting through it and to the end was a struggle。 Too much "filler" and maybe a few too many characters to keep track of with little parts to each throughout。 。。。more

Megan Roach ，

Listened to the audiobook。 Unbelievable narrator。 This book will stay with me a long， long time。

Hernovelidea ，

Immersive， heartbreaking and hopeful。