Library Book Club Reviews

by James McBride, reviewed by Director of Library Operations Pamela Parker

Another blockbuster success from author James McBride, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (2023) combines his passion for American musical traditions with his fascination with the hard times in our nation’s history. He tackles both race and creed in this work of historical fiction—the result is being touted as our next “Great American Novel.” 

Written in a style reminiscent of Deacon King Kong (2020) and The Good Lord Bird (2013), the reader of his other works feels on familiar ground. As in those novels, McBride relies on unique – if not unusual – characters, from a variety of backgrounds and differing abilities. In fact, McBride credits his time working at a summer camp for differently abled children for inspiring this work. 

He begins the novel as a construction crew uncovers a body holding a necklace in hand.

The story quickly flashes back to mid-1930s Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where we presumably will learn how this came to be. We meet Mosha, a recent immigrant to the United States who hopes to promote dance hall events to make a living. He marries Chona, the American-born daughter of an immigrant couple who own The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store in the rough-shod Chicken Hill neighborhood.  

The family becomes part of the patch-worked community made up Romanians, Lithuanians and other Jewish immigrants who have fled the pogroms. Chicken Hill is a gathering place for many migrant communities. Italians who compete for the club business. Black families like Nate and Addie who’ve come in search of better circumstances but become low-paid wage earners. Yet through community, they can make ends meet and even enjoy the music, faith and gossip that thrives there. McBride seems to argue that the opportunity for self-determination is what sets this America apart from the lives they’ve left behind.  

McBride crafts a story — with many twists and turns – that builds upon his theme that human connections is our saving grace. 

The Great American Dance Hall and Theatre becomes hugely successful after adding popular Black performers who bring capacity crowds. While McBride finds humor in his gritty characters, he also exposes the corruption and hypocrisy upon which the civic decisions are being made. When our protagonist, Chona, becomes ill, her failing health is something of a mystery. Yet she refuses to see Doc Roberts, who she knows to be a racist, nor to move ‘Downtown’ despite Mosha’s urgings that Jews are leaving Chicken Hill. To her, happiness is running the store and remaining connected with the people she considers their community.  

When Dodo, a 12-year-old Black boy who is deaf but able bodied, is orphaned, Chona and Mosha take him into their home above the Heaven & Earth grocery store. This saves him from a fate at Pennhurst, a state school and hospital with a horrible reputation. Not surprisingly, Doc Roberts conspires with authorities to move the boy to the institution, and the situation for Dodo looks grim. He lays for months suffering alongside another institutionalized boy, ‘Monkey Pants.’ The two form a powerful friendship by communicating with hand-gestures, and this memorable bond underscores the novel’s message of enduring hope through human connection. 

Can we work together, sharing our unique abilities, to overcome life’s hardships? McBride seems to be saying, ‘Yes, we can.” 

As with most of his work, McBride ends the story with a sense of justice done – and, ultimately, an optimism about America. He seems to be confirming a belief that good deeds do make a difference even if we do not know where or for whom they will manifest. This perfectly minted novel thus echos the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, who once said, “The arc of moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Even our antagonist, Doc Roberts, seems to have some hidden insight into why Chicken Hill is now well, and his fate is connected to a fix. 

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store won me over in the end with the tender characterizations and imperative to embrace inclusivity as the best way forward. I recommended it as a salve for tough times and to readers who appreciate the quirky characters with big hearts—and fatal flaws. We will meet to discuss the novel at the Library on Wednesday, February 7 at 5:30 p.m. Sign up to join us here: The Community Library Book Club. 

Find The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store in print, large print, ebook, eaudiobook, and on CD here.

Circulation Manager Pamela Parker recommends Demon Copperhead: A Tale Retold by Barbara Kingsolver 

Best known for the parallels to Charles Dicken’s 1850 semi-autobiographic novel, David Copperfield (1850), Barbara Kingsolver’s latest novel, Demon Copperhead (2022), recounts a boy’s coming-of-age in Appalachia during the height of the opioid epidemic, which ran at its worst from 2007-2016. 

Kingsolver’s work takes us to Lee County, Virginia, where Demon “got himself born” on the bathroom floor of a backwoods trailer. His mother is an opiate addict who soon overdoses, leaving Demon stranded between a dumb, abusive stepfather and a highly dysfunctional foster-care system. Demon’s first-person narrative follows his life experiences during a time when his rural community faces the brutal fallout of widespread drug use as he’s approaching adulthood. 

He’s first placed with the McCombs family who run a foster home where boys are put to work to bring in extra cash. From trash sorting to tobacco picking, Demon describes in vivid detail the realities of his childhood labor. He eventually finds his way into the sprawling Winfield family, who like the Peggotty family in Dicken’s life, become a much-needed refuge. He starts attending school regularly, and Coach Winfield introduces him to football. The strong, red-headed Demon becomes a star running back for his high school. But soon enough his strength is tested beyond the physical. He meets Dori, whose bedridden father gets easy access to prescription opioids, and this leads them toward the inevitable. 

I read this 2023 Pulitzer Prize winning novel in one stretch and found it totally engaging. Demon’s humor and point-blank storytelling are hard to put down.

His brutal honesty as he ‘tells all’ about the goings on makes one grateful for being from elsewhere but also able to connect with the challenges they face. I also began to care about this place I’ve never been, and the unique individuals that make up his world. His creative use of nicknames, like Stoner for his hapless stepfather, Fast Forward, his unscrupulous dealer friend, and Creaky, the old man who runs a farm where foster boys pick tobacco is priceless. 

As we cringe for him and this band of misfits and has-beens, we really want to know if the human spirit can endure such hard odds – and the answer is apparently ‘yes’ if we are to believe Kingsolver. I do suggest that you buckle up for a fast ride through some dangerous curves of Virginia’s poorest rural counties. It’s an exceptional work of contemporary fiction by one of the nation’s most gifted writers but the grittiest aspects of the story aren’t always easy going. 

Barbara Kingsolver grew up in Kentucky and now makes her home in Appalachia. Known for themes of environmentalism and social justice, she has found a second wind with Demon Copperhead (2022). Her other works include The Bean Trees (1988), Poisonwood Bible (1998) and a nonfiction account of her family’s effort to return to locally sourced eating, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007). She has been awarded the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for this most recent novel among other accolades.  

On Wednesday, October 4, at 5:30 pm, The Community Library Book Club will host a discussion of Demon Copperhead, and all are invited to join in. Sign up here! 

Information Systems Manager Will Duke recommends The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

The Graveyard Book is a captivating and enchanting tale that takes readers on a journey through a world of ghosts, mystery, and the enduring power of friendship. This extraordinary novel weaves together elements of fantasy, adventure, and coming-of-age, creating a story that is both thrilling and deeply heartfelt. 

The story revolves around Nobody Owens, a young boy who escapes an unthinkable tragedy as a baby and finds refuge in a graveyard. Raised by the spirits of the deceased and protected by Silas, a mysterious figure who straddles the worlds of the living and the dead, Bod, as he is affectionately called, embarks on a series of adventures that shape his destiny. 

Gaiman’s writing style is elegant and evocative, immersing readers in the atmospheric world of the graveyard and the supernatural beings that inhabit it.

The characters in The Graveyard Book are exceptionally well-crafted and endearing. Bod is a relatable protagonist who undergoes personal growth and self-discovery throughout the narrative. As he navigates the challenges of his dual existence, readers witness his resilience, curiosity, and determination. The supporting characters, both human and ghostly, add depth and charm to the story, each with their distinct personalities and contributions to Bod’s journey. 

Gaiman’s storytelling is richly imaginative, and he skillfully blends various folklore and mythological elements into the narrative. He seamlessly incorporates elements of ghost stories, fables, and legends, giving the book a timeless and universal quality. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover the secrets of Bod’s past and the threats that lie ahead. 

Beyond its fantastical elements, The Graveyard Book explores profound themes such as family, identity, and the power of belonging. Gaiman delves into the complexities of life and death, imparting valuable life lessons in a way that is both accessible and poignant.  

The Graveyard Book is a masterfully written novel that showcases Gaiman’s exceptional storytelling abilities. It is a book that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, transcending the boundaries of genre. With its memorable characters, atmospheric setting, and thought-provoking themes, this book has rightfully earned its place among the classics of young adult literature. 

Find it in Juvenile Fiction, eaudiobook, and ebook here.