The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride does have a murder, but that’s not a mystery since it is very clear who died and who committed the murder, but that is not actually what the book is about. Rather, it’s about life, mostly in the 1920’s and 1930’s of life in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It’s about the Blacks and Eastern immigrant Jews that have migrated there, as well as their interactions with the families of the first white settlers and even the Irish immigrants. It’s also about the backward times for laws and psychiatric care of disadvantaged and disabled persons, and it's about deep-seated prejudice. This is an articulate and touching novel that made me laugh and cry as I fell under the spell of the characters. This book will touch your heart. The epilogue brought the various subplots together in a most meaningful way. McBride has seven other novels so I hope to get back to more of his work.
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