The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

In 1972 Pottstown, Pennsylvania, the discovery of a skeleton in a well unearthed long-held secrets within the Chicken Hill neighborhood. This community, where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived in close proximity, shared both aspirations and sorrows.

The novel explores the lives of Moshe and Chona Ludlow, who navigated this unique environment. Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, and together with Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe's theater and a leader in the community, they worked to protect a deaf boy from institutionalization.

As their stories intertwine, the narrative reveals the struggles of those living on the margins of white, Christian America and the lengths they go to for survival. The truth about Chicken Hill's past and the town's white establishment's role eventually comes to light.

James McBride, author of award-winning works, delivers a compassionate and inventive story. This Historical Fiction novel, recognized as a New York Times Notable Book and a Literary Fiction bestseller, ultimately shows how love and community sustain us.