James McBride, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store *** 1/2

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store has all of the elements it needs to be the masterpiece that many reviewers claim it is. In particular, it builds a detailed community from the diverse residents of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. However, the various story threads feel disjointed, resulting in an unsatisfying resolution to the mystery it introduces in the prologue. Spoiler alert: the skeleton ended up in the well for reasons unrelated to the main events of the book.

To me, the strongest aspect of the book was its sociological portrait of a small town in the 1930s, with its immigrants, Jews, Blacks, and white town elders living side-by-side and working to balance their concerns. McBride stacks the deck against the town elders by presenting their worldviews with less subtlety and less ethical value. ("But that's how it was!," you might exclaim. Maybe so, but I would still prefer less mustache twirling.)

Many of the side characters fail to transcend their role in the plot, with Doc Roberts and "Son of Man" especially being cardboard villains. The institution to which they send the deaf boy is cartoonishly evil: I think the story would have been stronger if the authorities actually felt they were doing their best to educate the boy.