“The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store”

James McBride writes an intriguing tale set in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The story begins in 1972 with the discovery of a skeleton and a mezuzah in a well—sparking a retrospective journey back to the 1920s–’30s on Chicken Hill, a tightly-knit neighborhood of Jewish immigrants and Black families.  Moshe and Chona build a life in the small town running a theater and a grocery store, and are beloved members of the community. But life is far from easy for the Jewish and Black folks as they face antisemitism and racism (especially from the town doctor) to the point that lives are at stake.  This is a beautifully crafted book that delivers a unique and intriguing story with incredible dialog reflecting a time and place I knew little about.