Our May meeting of the CBI Book Club will take place over Zoom on Monday, May 6 at 7:30pm (EDT) to discuss The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (2023, Penguin Random House).

McBride’s novel is set in Pottstown, PA in 1972, at a time when the Black and immigrant Jewish residents living in a dilapidated neighborhood came together to rescue a Black boy from being institutionalized. In so doing, they successfully resist efforts made by the communities’ white and wealthier Christian residents to engage in this and other bigoted acts. An upbeat novel, McBride shows “that it is love and community–heaven and earth–that ultimately sustain us.” This book appears regularly on The New York Times bestseller list, being an immensely engaging read and a murder mystery to boot!

This book is available to purchase online in multiple formats. Those who plan on joining us should RSVP by email to Suzanne Levy Graver at [email protected].