THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE

“Kindness. Love. Principle. It runs the world.”
🏘️
I can't think of a better start to my reading year than this fantastic novel about community, kinship and the American dream. As you likely know from its "Best of 2023" accolades, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is the story of a Pennsylvania neighborhood called Chicken Hill where Black, Jewish and immigrant residents live together in the 1930s. When the town's establishment becomes determined to institutionalize a young deaf Black boy, this eclectic mix of individuals must unite to protect him. Their discoveries about each other and themselves are filled with joy, sorrow, hope and most of all, profound humanity in this truly delightful feat of creative storytelling.
🏘️
I adored this book and can already call it a favorite of the year, even though it's only January! McBride has assembled an unforgettable cast of characters, many with deceptively lighthearted names - Big Soap, Monkey Pants, Dodo - that belie their deeper struggles. Similarly, their cacophony of community banter is witty and entertaining - until subtle shifts reveal the book's themes in an entirely new light. It is refreshing, unique and timely. Best of all, it offers a glimpse of what true solidarity looks like, where there are differences, of course - but they're outweighed by mutual respect and love.
🏘️
A fun food scene is one thing but this book has an entire chapter named CHALLAH! And if you put a challah in a book you'd better believe I'm going to bake some! (Even if the book's challah is described as a “turgid mess of what tasted like onions, sand, and grease”!) These were delicious though, warm from the oven and perfect for a winter storm. Read this book and bake some bread and all will feel right with the world for a little while! And Shabbat Shalom to anyone baking their own challah tonight!