The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride In this New York Times bestselling novel, James McBride delivers a powerful and heartwarming story about community, compassion, and the quiet acts of resistance that bind people together.

Set in the 1930s in a small, racially mixed neighborhood called Chicken Hill in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, the novel opens with the discovery of a human skeleton at the bottom of a well in 1972. As the mystery unfolds, the narrative takes readers back in time to explore the lives of the neighborhood’s residents—Black, Jewish, and immigrant families living side by side.

At the heart of the story is the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, run by Moshe and Chona Ludlow, a Jewish couple who become unlikely protectors of Dodo, a young Black, deaf boy targeted by state authorities. As the community rallies around Dodo, their acts of courage, sacrifice, and quiet defiance reveal the deep humanity that persists even in the face of injustice.

McBride blends humor, suspense, and lyrical prose to craft a sweeping, multi-voiced narrative that examines race, disability, religion, and belonging, all while celebrating the everyday heroism found in overlooked places.