I’m trying to make sure I read the books we’ve chosen for reading group, and write a piece on the set topic for writing group, and doing it in plenty of time so I’m not in a panic trying to race through a novel or other book, and cobble together thoughts on writing a story! I’m falling behind with the reading group book, ‘The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store’, I only started it reluctantly as I knew it wasn’t something I wouldn’t have chosen. Having ploughed through several chapters, I know my thoughts were correct. I’d had my doubts when I bought it and saw the blurb – ‘Waterstone’s book of the month for October 2024 – the million-copy bestseller, Barack Obama’s book of the year pick, Amazon #1 book of the year’ – my taste in many things doesn’t always coincide with the millions of other listeners /readers /fans, and I am sometimes stupidly put off by rave reviews. However, book club is book club, and I resolved to do my best.
“In this novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them, James McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community – heaven and earth – that sustain us.” OK, so, there’s a mystery – I like mysteries, it’s a small town with secrets – sounds promising, it’s set in dark times – OK yes, love and community and heaven and earth sustaining us – hmm, not so sure on this, I’m not keen on overly sentimental power of love sort of writing.
I looked at the Amazon introduction:
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighbourhood where Jewish immigrants and African Americans lived side by side through the 1920’s and ’30’s.
Well, this sounds promisingly mysterious and so I plunged in. To be honest, I am struggling; I am struggling with the style of writing, I am struggling with the ‘voice’ and I’m becoming confused between the characters. I find I’m sighing and tutting rather a lot and my perseverance seems to be wavering – I just hope it won’t start waning. I shall certainly be interested in what my fellow readers have to say on Thursday evening, and I know we’ll have an agreeable and interesting time and enjoy each other’s company, if not the book!
Lois Elsden 