Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
The Artists Association of Nantucket (AAN) nominated Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. The AAN has been a steadfast supporter of OBOI and generally kicks off the event with an opening of a OBOI themed art exhibit. The AAN, like the Book Foundation which chose 2023’s winning title, has been an excellent partner worth recognizing.

Published in 2023, James McBride’s The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is an adult historical fiction/mystery novel. In 1972, a skeleton found in an old well unravels the hidden secrets of Chicken Hill, a Pennsylvania neighborhood where Jewish and Black communities coexist amidst racial tensions. Chona Ludlow is the Jewish owner of the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which shapes the destinies of various characters over the decades. James McBride is a National Book Award winner, and the novel explores themes of community, survival, and justice. Kirkus Reviews says, If it’s possible for America to have a poet laureate, why can’t James McBride be its storyteller-in-chief?
Page Count: 400