The Book: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride. 400 pages.
About the Book: This novel tells the story of Black and Jewish residents of the Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in the 1920s and '30s.
The book was well received by many critics. Danez Smith, writing for the New York Times, commended McBride's depiction of how divisions can occur along racial lines even in close knit communities, stating: "By showcasing neighbors misunderstanding neighbors, McBride shines a light on how communities in America are at times walled apart by difference, even in intimate relationships". Smith concluded that the novel is a "charming, smart, heart-blistering and heart-healing novel"
What to Bring? You do not need to bring anything. Simply read the book, OR listen to the audio book before attending the meeting. It can be useful if you bring your physical or digital copy of the book.
Who? This is a fun book club event that men and women from the neighborhood potluck list are invited to, along with everybody else who is interested.
Fun Book Club: This will be the 26th meeting of this book club. We had so much fun at the all of the meetings so far, with wonderful, fascinating discussions with great neighbors and new friends. If you like books or interesting discussions... or simply want to have fun meeting new people, I highly recommend RSVP-ing for this event.
You should be able to check out a physical or digital copy of this book from Tempe-area public libraries. An audio book is also available.