Even if you can't join the SITD Book Club in person, we thought other SITD members might be interested in what we are reading. We read, "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Story", by James McBride for our March meeting.
It is an adult historical fiction/mystery novel that opens in 1972 when a skeleton found in an old well unravels the secrets of a Pennsylvania neighborhood called Chicken Hill, where Jewish and Black communities coexist amidst racial tensions. Chona Ludlow is the Jewish owner of the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which has shaped the destinies of various characters over the decades.
Our group had mixed feelings about the book; some of us liked it, and others did not like it at all. Marcy had a very insightful thought, that because the book was very focused on characters and character development, those of us who preferred more plot than character might appreciate it less. The plot was engaging, but some found it too wordy and unnecessarily long.
The book we are reading for our April meeting is, "Dispatches from Pluto", by Richard Grant.
